‘We got a lifetime’: Victim family reacts after man pleads in Socastee double-murder case
One of the men accused of killing two people in Socastee and then igniting a car with their remains will spend a decade in prison.
For the mother of one victim, it’s not enough.
“He only got 10 years,” said Tracy Baker, “and we got a lifetime.”
Michael Faile was in Horry County court last week to plead to solicitation to commit a felony and possession with intent to distribute heroin and a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison, then four years of probation.
The state dropped the two murder charges against Faile, Senior Assistant Solicitor Josh Holford said.
Faile and three other men are accused of murdering Matthew Autry and Shawn Anderson in the summer of 2018. The two victims’ remains were found in a burned car near Enterprise Road in the Socastee area.
Investigators have described the killings as drug-related. The cases against the other suspects remain active.
Baker is Autry’s mother and said Faile was expected to be in court for routine business, and decided to plea. Baker was not present for the unexpected plea but spoke to the judge via video conference. Baker said they were not happy about the agreement and wanted Faile to face more time.
She said she has forgiven Faile because she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t. She is trying to get to the point where she can forgive the other suspects.
“I’m working on it,” Baker said.
Thursday would have been Autry’s 32nd birthday and anniversary that remains difficult even two years after his death, his mother said.
“That’s still really, really hard,” she said.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 1:12 PM.
