5 Myrtle Beach area crime stories you need to catch up on. Here’s what to know
The Myrtle Beach area saw a range of criminal cases the week of April 20, 2026, from federal hate crime charges to guilty pleas in drug money laundering and armed robbery. Here’s a look at the top stories from the week.
Key takeaways:
• Federal charges in cross burning: A former Conway man, Worden Evander Butler, 31, was indicted on federal charges for allegedly erecting and burning a cross facing his Black neighbors’ home on Thanksgiving 2023. Butler faces up to 10 years in federal prison and was arrested in California.
• $750K laundering guilty plea: Kayla Tisdale, 37, of Little River pleaded guilty to concealing a scheme to launder at least $750,000 in drug trafficking assets by depositing funds across banks, trading cryptocurrency and purchasing gold bullion. She faces up to three years in federal prison.
• Dad charged in infant’s injuries: Gavin Tyler Bell, 22, of North Myrtle Beach, was arrested after his 2-month-old child was found to have broken ribs and a brain bleed at a hospital. Staff determined the injuries were due to someone shaking the baby, according to a police report.
• Hotel stabbing over rent: Jeffrey Alonzo Keitt, 88, was charged with two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature after allegedly stabbing two people at the Quail Inn and Suites in Myrtle Beach during an argument over overdue rent.
• Armed robbery guilty plea: Brittany Dawn Hunter, 33, of Myrtle Beach pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a January 2025 hotel robbery during which a man was shot. Her co-defendant, David Mills, was sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty in February.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
