NC man who gunned down person on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach heading to prison
A North Carolina man who gunned down a person in Myrtle Beach in 2018 is heading to prison for life, Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson announced Thursday.
Earl R. Gaddis, 21, of Spring Lake, North Carolina was convicted of murder; possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime; unlawful carrying of a pistol; possession of a stolen pistol; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; and two counts of possession of controlled substance following his trial that began Monday.
His conviction stems from the fatal shooting of Sylvester Bellamy, of Georgetown, on June 8, 2018. Terence Blackwell, who was also charged with murder in connection to the incident, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in April and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
“Sylvester Bellamy’s death is a senseless act of violence and loss of life,” assistant solicitor Cara Walker said after the trial. “The overwhelming evidence at trial showed that Mr. Bellamy was unarmed and ambushed by the two defendants, who were armed with three different guns.”
According to police, Bellamy was unarmed when he was shot six times in a public restroom along Withers Alley near Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach.
At about 11:30 p.m., officers heard gunshots near 12th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach Police Capt. Joey Crosby said. Officers found Bellamy with gunshot wounds. Bellamy went to the hospital, where he died a short time later from his injuries.
Police used surveillance cameras and tracked suspects who left the area. At about 12:30 a.m. police found the suspects walking with others near 29th Avenue North and Kings Highway, Crosby said. The group was detained while police investigated.
“Thanks to diligent police work, Myrtle Beach Police Department, in collaboration with the State Law Enforcement Agency, the defendants were arrested within 90 minutes of the shooting and while still in possession of the murder weapons,” Walker said.
Crosby said the investigation showed the shooting was not connected to the nearby Carolina County Music Festival.
Gaddis also faces charges in the December 2018 fatal shooting of a 17-year-old man in Harnett County, North Carolina, which he was arrested for after being released on bond in the Myrtle Beach case.
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 5:58 PM.
