- calendar_today August 6, 2025
.
Nine teenagers have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 16-year-old Trey Dean Wright of Johnsonville, S.C. According to investigators, the June 24 murder was “over a girl,” and some of it was caught on video by one of the suspects.
Florence County Sheriff’s deputies found Wright’s body on June 24, according to officials. Wright was shot to death on First Neck Road, and “several bullet wounds” were reported to have been the cause of death, according to authorities. The road where Wright’s body was found is a rural area about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach.
19-Year-Old Shooter Arrested
Deputies arrested the alleged shooter, 19-year-old Devan Scott Raper of Conway, S.C., one day after the shooting, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Raper is accused of shooting Wright after the two men got into an argument.
However, the suspect was not alone in his crime, and officials say other young people conspired to lure Wright to the site of his murder. The deputies with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office continued to make arrests in the days after the shooting as they learned more.
One of those arrested was Wright’s girlfriend, 17-year-old Gianna Kistenmacher of Myrtle Beach. The suspects are accused of conspiring to set up the victim with Raper, who was carrying a gun at the time, the sheriff’s office says.
According to Kistenmacher’s arrest warrant, she “knowingly brought” Raper to the place where the shooting took place, “knowing that Raper presented a firearm to the victim and that there was a high probability that physical force or violence would be used.”
Mother Still Grieving
Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, told Fox News Digital she’s still in mourning and that the court cases in the murder have complicated matters.
“All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,” she said. “I don’t even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.”
Five of the nine teenagers have been charged as adults under state law. Under South Carolina law, prosecutors can charge minors in juvenile cases as adults in severe cases.
District Attorney Tony Saturday confirmed that the statute is being applied in this case. “The hand of one being the hand of all is part of South Carolina law as well, so that’s the basis of the charge for each of those individuals,” said Major Michael Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, according to WBTW-TV.
Teenage Murder Charges
Three other Myrtle Beach-area teens are facing murder charges alongside Raper in the shooting death of Trey Wright. Investigators identified those arrested as 18-year-olds Hunter Kendall and Corrine Belviso, and 17-year-old Sydney Kearns.
Kendall and Raper each face a murder charge and were held on high bonds and have not been released. Belviso and Kearns have each been released on $20,000 surety bonds.
No further details have been released by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, citing the ongoing investigation. Prosecutors declined to comment on the case. However, the case has been publicly shared in detail by the mother of the victim.
Wright’s mother, Ashley Lindsey, continues to grieve for her son and also laments the slow pace of the murder case. In addition to being in a relationship with one of the suspected accomplices, several other teenagers were involved in planning his death, Lindsey said.
Teenager Feud Over Girl Results in Death
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office says that the cause of death for Wright was “multiple gunshot wounds.” T.J. Joye, the sheriff of Florence County, told local media that the two men had gotten into a “personal feud over a female” when the killing took place.
“They had issues with each other, and it was over a female,” he said, according to WPDE-TV. “The sad thing is, you’ve got a 16-year-old who lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”
Joye added that police are investigating the role firearms play in murders. “We have a lot of work to do with our kids, including getting guns away from kids,” he told reporters.
According to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Raper is being charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He is being held without bond. Hunter Kendall, who is also charged with murder in the case, has also been held without bond.
Gianna Kistenmacher, Corrine Belviso, and Sydney Kearns each posted $20,000 surety bonds last week and were released from custody.





