Myrtle Beach, Horry County missing person case ends in murder charge
A 31-year-old was charged with murder for the killing of a man who was reported missing in the Myrtle Beach area in August.
Horry County police announced on Tuesday that officers charged Darrell Demarcus Land, 31, of Blythewood, in connection to Arnold Jamal Bennett’s death.
Bennett was first reported missing to Myrtle Beach police on Aug. 7. Days later, Horry County police joined the investigation into his disappearance.
Land caused the death of Bennett, according to his arrest warrant, though it does not detail how Bennett was killed. Land caused Bennett’s death at a Sandridge Drive residence in the Little River area on Aug. 4. It was the same area police later found human remains.
Bennett’s mother Donna Powell lives in Maryland and visited the Myrtle Beach area in mid-August looking for her son. She said relatives assured her they believed Bennett was OK, but she saw several spiritual signs that led to a different thought.
“I just felt something was not right,” Powell said. She added, “Every day I wake up thinking about Arnold.”
Bennett, 36, moved to Horry County with other family members, Powell said. He had two children and his mom said “he was a good dad.” Powell described her son as eager, happy, loving and someone who made others laugh.
“He was a giving person,” Powell said. “He would give his all.”
Missing person case
An Horry County police report details the county’s efforts to find Bennett after he was reported missing. On Aug. 13, officers went to Livingston Circle in Little River related to a missing person case that Myrtle Beach police investigated.
Officers found Bennett’s car on a dirt road. A witness said they saw Bennett park the vehicle two weeks earlier and get out “like someone was chasing him,” according to the report.
A second witness also told police they saw a second vehicle arrive with Bennett’s vehicle, according to the report.
On Aug. 30, police confirmed they found human remains at an area near Old Sanders Drive, which is near Sandridge Drive. It’s unclear if those remains are Bennett’s.
Land is being held in J. Reuben Long Detention Center as bond has not been set in his case. He faces life in prison if convicted of murder.
Land has no significant criminal history in Horry County.
This story was originally published October 29, 2019 at 6:57 PM.
