Updated: Downtown called safe after ‘brutal’ attack though official not ‘privy’ to details
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Myrtle Beach crime accountability
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Updated: Downtown called safe after ‘brutal’ attack though official not ‘privy’ to details
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Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:40 p.m. with additional information from the city of Myrtle Beach about questions regarding the safety of Myrtle Beach and downtown.
A brutal attack on a woman last week near downtown Myrtle Beach has raised questions about the city’s crime and how police notify residents about such incidents.
Myrtle Beach Police posted on its Facebook page Oct. 12 an “incident alert” that officers had responded to an assault about 4:09 a.m. Oct. 11 in the 800 block of Nance Street and that a victim had been transported to the hospital with injuries.
Then on Oct. 13 a plea for the public’s help by Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry and posted to the Myrtle Beach Police’s Facebook page identified the incident as a “brutal” assault on a female victim in a vehicle.
The Myrtle Beach woman Starlet Renae Jackson, 59, died Oct. 13 from her injuries, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office. The case has been ruled a homicide.
No arrests have been made in the case.
When asked if people should be concerned about their safety downtown and whether this was an isolated incident, spokesperson Cpl. Christopher Starling responded by email, “Currently this is still an active investigation.”
Starling said if there is any additional information that can be shared with the community, “I will put it out as soon as possible.”
“Yes, downtown is safe,” Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said by email late Monday afternoon. “Sadly, of course, people do bad things to each other on occasion. The police investigate, the courts adjudicate, and the person who committed the assault will receive just punishment. Consequences exist. Of course, we all are working toward additional public safety, a goal supported by the many investments and improvements in the area.”
Kruea said that the Myrtle Beach Police Department is working diligently on the case. Kruea said that he was not “privy” to the details of the investigation and couldn’t speak about whether it was a random incident, whether the suspect was known to the victim or whether other factors were involved which led to that crime at that time and location.
“Certainly, our thoughts are with the victim’s family,” Kruea said. “I do know that it was rare enough that CrimeStoppers is a resource.”
Kruea said the location is not in the downtown area that is defined by the Downtown Master Plan, adding that the question about the crime’s relation to downtown safety “seems to fall short, if the event wasn’t in the downtown area.”
“That said, the occurrence of crime city-wide is down (we are experiencing less crime) when compared to five, 10, 15 or more years ago. Both the actual number of crimes and the calculated ‘crime rate’ ... are lower and are trending lower,” Kruea said. “We’ve done Facebook posts on this trend, presented crime statistics at City Council meetings and otherwise shared that positive news.
“...I would note, thanks to the city’s significant investment in technology and other resources, that we catch many violators in minutes. The speed with which a crime is solved is – or should be – a real and present deterrent to anyone who’s inclined to act illegally in Myrtle Beach. The camera system is a wonderful tool for public safety.”
Kruea was asked why the public wasn’t informed of the seriousness of the incident in the initial social media post.
The police department acts in the interest of the victim and the family, Kruea said. Kruea noted that the first social media post said that the victim was injured and being treated, and the second post noted the severity of the attack.
Kruea pushed back on the city not responding in a timely manner to questions about the incident. An email was sent at 10 a.m. to Kruea, followed by a phone call at 2 p.m. Kruea sent a response at 2:31 p.m.
A phone message left with Jason Greene, president and CEO of Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance, which has a clean and safe committee, was not returned Monday.
Additional information or details about the case have not been released.
An initial police incident report with scarce details indicated that a knife or cutting instrument had been used in the attack.
Police response to public limited at times
There have been previous incidents in which Myrtle Beach Police have not been quick to provide information to the public.
A shooting caught on video along the city’s busy Ocean Boulevard in April led to a police investigation, but nearly a week after the shooting, a police incident report wasn’t filed and police did not release a statement regarding the shooting. Basic information such as if anyone was injured was not released.
The incident occurred on a Saturday evening and the boulevard was lined with people, as seen in the video.
It wasn’t until a Freedom of Information Act request of an email from Police Chief Amy Prock to city leaders with updates on the case that basic information was received.
A North Carolina man was arrested about a month later in the case.
Myrtle Beach Police also didn’t respond to a request from The Sun News for information on the diversity of its police department after several requests spanning more than a month. The information still hasn’t been received and the story was published in August.
Crime reported in the city
Myrtle Beach Police reported in November 2022 that violent crime in the city had decreased by 22% between 2017 and 2021.
However, Myrtle Beach has continually been reported as one of the most dangerous cities in America over the years based on FBI crime statistics.
Myrtle Beach reported six homicides in 2022, compared to nine in 2021, according to FBI statistics. For all violent crimes, police reported 386 incidents for 2022 and 455 in 2021. For 2020, 496 incidents of violent crime were reported.
This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 2:29 PM.
