North Carolina man pleads guilty to shooting and killing girlfriend in a South Carolina motel
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter after evidence showed he shot and killed his girlfriend.
Judge Michael Nettles sentenced William Cody Perritt to 26 years in prison. Perritt was originally charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, but 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said a voluntary manslaughter charge was more fitting.
Perritt, 23, shot 19-year-old Brooke Akins in the head during an argument on Nov. 5, 2023. The couple was staying at a Loris area hotel when they got in an argument over one of Akins’ friends, Richardson said.
Murder applies to cases where the perpetrator had malice aforethought while voluntary manslaughter refers to a killing that happened in the heat of the moment, according to Grand Strand Law.
Akins and Perritt, who had been dating for around a year, had gone to a bonfire with friends on Nov. 4 before returning to a Loris motel, Richardson said during the court hearing. Akins had a friend whom Perritt did not approve of and the couple had been fighting about it for several days.
During the fight, Akins called her stepmother Paula Bryan, along with others, to try and calm Perritt down, Bryan said during the hearing. While on the phone, Bryan said she heard Perritt say, “I’m going to put a hole in her head.”
Bryan thought Perritt was referring to Akins’ friend, but, after learning of her stepdaughter’s death, now believes Perritt meant Akins.
Richardson said Perritt had a fixation on guns and would point to firearms as a solution. One example Richardson gave was Akins wanted to bring a stray dog home, but Perritt threatened to shoot the animal.
Perritt never admitted he shot Akins in the head, including after he pleaded guilty, but Richardson said there was an overwhelming amount of evidence pointing to him as the shooter.
“The closest he would come to saying he shot her is that he may have touched the trigger. He said that she was still holding the gun after she had been shot in the head,” Richardson said.
Perritt told police Akins shot herself, but given the angle and the fact that Akins would have used her non-dominant hand to pull the trigger, Richardson does not believe that.
After Akins was shot, Perritt called several people and moved around evidence before calling 911 and asking the front desk for help, Richardson said.
At the time of her death, Akins was studying to be a teacher at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.
According to her obituary, Akins loved to spend time with her family and had two dogs. She made posts online showcasing her love for animals. Several people posted about her death on Facebook and her obituary, describing Akins as a sweet, bright and beautiful girl.
Richardson and Akins’ family requested Perritt be sentenced to 30 years — the maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
“Thirty years is easy compared to what was taken,” Bryan said.
