Comments Off on Tragedy at the Lake: Inside the Shocking Murder of 13-Year-Old Foster Child Daryl Martinez Lowry in South Carolina
A quiet, rural lakeside community in South Carolina has been thrust into the national spotlight following a harrowing incident that has raised urgent questions about the safety and oversight of the state’s foster care system. What was meant to be a safe, temporary refuge for a vulnerable 13-year-old boy ended in an unspeakable tragedy on the shores of Clarks Hill Lake.
On July 20, Daryl Martinez Lowry was brutally attacked, stabbed, and drowned at the lakefront property of a prominent local public official who was serving as his temporary foster parent. The suspects in the slaying are two fellow foster children who were also residing at the home.
As state investigators piece together the events that led to the death of the young boy, the incident has sent shockwaves through McCormick County, prompting grief from the victim’s family, expressions of disbelief from local authorities, and renewed scrutiny over how the state places and monitors high-risk youth within foster homes.
Main Facts of the Case
The homicide occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 20, in Modoc, an unincorporated community in McCormick County, South Carolina. The setting of the crime was a private residence on Beauregard Drive, located along the scenic shoreline of Clarks Hill Lake (also known as Strom Thurmond Lake). The property belongs to Bernie Hamby, the long-serving Chairman of the McCormick County Council and an active, public advocate for the foster care system.
At the time of the incident, three foster children were staying at the Hamby residence: the victim, 13-year-old Daryl Martinez Lowry, and two older teenagers, 17-year-old Landen Austin Moore and an unidentified 16-year-old male.
According to arrest warrants and statements released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), a physical altercation broke out among the three youth at a private boat dock on the property. During the confrontation, Lowry was assaulted and suffered multiple knife lacerations. Investigators allege that Moore and the 16-year-old accomplice then forced the injured 13-year-old into the lake and held him underwater until he drowned.
Following a search and recovery effort, Lowry’s body was retrieved from the lake. Landen Austin Moore was arrested and charged with murder. He was booked into the McCormick County Detention Center, where he remains held. The 16-year-old suspect was detained and transported to a secure facility managed by the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).
Authorities have emphasized that Council Chairman Bernie Hamby was asleep inside the main residence when the attack occurred. There is no indication or allegation from law enforcement that Hamby witnessed, participated in, or had any prior knowledge of the violent encounter.
Chronology of Events
To understand the trajectory of this tragedy, it is necessary to examine the timeline of events leading up to the fateful morning of July 20, beginning with the victim’s troubled weeks preceding his placement in McCormick County.
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| TIMELINE |
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| June 11, 2024 | Daryl Martinez Lowry goes missing from Chester, SC. |
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| June 12, 2024 | Chester Police find Daryl safe after community alert. |
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| Mid-July 2024 | Daryl is placed in temporary foster care at Hamby's. |
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| July 20, 2024 | Fatal altercation occurs at private boat dock; |
| (Early AM) | Daryl is stabbed and drowned. |
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| July 20, 2024 | Daryl's body recovered; investigation launched. |
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| July 23, 2024 | SLED announces murder charge against Landen Moore. |
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June 11–12, 2024: A Prior Disappearance
Just over a month before his death, Daryl Martinez Lowry was the subject of an active missing person investigation in his hometown of Chester, South Carolina, located roughly 100 miles northeast of McCormick County.
On the evening of June 11, Daryl vanished, prompting the Chester Police Department to issue an urgent public appeal the following morning. Local authorities asked residents, business owners, and neighbors to review security camera footage and report any suspicious activity. Fortunately, later that same day, on June 12, police announced that the 13-year-old had been located safe and unharmed.
While state officials have not publicly linked his brief disappearance to the subsequent foster care placement, it underscored the unstable circumstances surrounding the young teenager’s life during the summer.
Mid-July 2024: The Temporary Foster Placement
Following his return and amid ongoing assessments by the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), Daryl was placed into a temporary emergency foster care setting. His destination was the home of Bernie Hamby in Modoc.
Hamby, a respected local leader and council chairman, had opened his lakefront home to foster children for years. Daryl was placed there on a short-term basis while DSS caseworkers sought a more permanent, long-term foster home placement for him. Already residing at the home were Landen Austin Moore and the 16-year-old juvenile.
July 20, 2024: The Fatal Confrontation
During the early morning hours of Saturday, July 20, while the household was asleep, Daryl, Moore, and the 16-year-old left the main residence and walked down to the private boat dock on the edge of Clarks Hill Lake.
According to SLED investigators, an argument escalated into physical violence. The two older teenagers allegedly set upon the 13-year-old. During the assault, a knife was produced, and Daryl suffered multiple lacerations.
The physical violence culminated when the suspects forced the wounded boy into the water. Warrants allege that Moore and the 16-year-old intentionally and with "malice aforethought" held Daryl beneath the surface of the water, preventing him from breathing, until he succumbed to drowning.
The Discovery and Arrests
After realizing the boy was missing and discovering the aftermath of the struggle, emergency services were contacted. Responders from the McCormick County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and local dive teams arrived at the property. Daryl’s body was subsequently recovered from the lake, and the area was secured as an active homicide scene.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation and the involvement of a local public official’s property, McCormick County Sheriff Chad Cox immediately requested the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to lead the independent investigation.
On Tuesday, July 23, SLED officially announced that 17-year-old Landen Austin Moore had been charged with murder. The 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody under juvenile petitions and transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Supporting Data and Investigative Findings
The warrants filed by SLED agents paint a grim picture of the evidence gathered during the initial 72 hours of the investigation.
The Arrest Warrant Details
According to the official arrest warrant executed against Landen Austin Moore, the state’s charges are built upon:
Physical Evidence: Forensic evidence collected at the boat dock on Beauregard Drive, including blood trail analysis and recovered physical items consistent with an altercation.
Witness Statements: Statements obtained from individuals in the immediate vicinity and interviews conducted with the suspects themselves.
Medical Examiner Findings: Preliminary autopsy findings indicating that the victim suffered both sharp-force injuries (knife lacerations) and signs of asphyxiation consistent with freshwater drowning.
The warrant explicitly alleges that Moore, acting in concert with the 16-year-old co-defendant, did "unlawfully, intentionally, and with malice aforethought" murder Daryl Martinez Lowry by "holding him underwater until he became deceased."
Geographic and Demographic Profile
The crime occurred in McCormick County, one of the least populated and most rural counties in South Carolina.
Demographic Indicator
McCormick County Data
Total Population
Approx. 9,600 residents
County Seat
McCormick
Primary Industry
Agriculture, Forestry, Tourism (Clarks Hill Lake)
Violent Crime Rate
Historically low, well below state average
Modoc, where the homicide occurred, is a small lakeside community that relies heavily on recreational tourism associated with Clarks Hill Lake, a massive reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina. Violent crimes, particularly juvenile homicides, are exceedingly rare in this tight-knit community, making the incident highly anomalous for local law enforcement.
Official Responses and Legal Proceedings
The tragedy has drawn responses from law enforcement leaders, state agencies, and the victim’s grieving family, each expressing a mixture of sorrow, anger, and a demand for answers.
Law Enforcement Statements
McCormick County Sheriff Chad Cox released a heartfelt statement on the department’s public channels, acknowledging the profound impact of the crime on his community:
"We want to express our deepest condolences to the friends and family of the young man who had his life taken in such a horrendous manner. We are extremely grateful that we live and work in a community where violent crime is not a regular occurrence. But with that being said, no place is exempt from these types of incidents, and we must remain diligent in our efforts to keep McCormick County a safe place to live, work, and raise families."
Sheriff Cox went on to thank the various agencies that provided immediate operational support, including SLED, the South Carolina DNR, McCormick County Emergency Services, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the McCormick County Coroner’s Office.
State Agencies and Prosecution
SLED has confirmed that its special agents are continuing to conduct interviews and analyze forensic evidence. Because of the complexities surrounding the case and the involvement of a county council chairman’s household, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, led by Attorney General Alan Wilson, will directly handle the prosecution of Landen Austin Moore.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), which oversees the state’s foster care system, has faced questions regarding its placement protocols. Under state privacy laws, DSS is limited in what information it can release regarding active cases involving minors, but the agency is reportedly conducting its own internal review of the placement history of all three teenagers involved.
Grieving Family Demands Accountability
Lowry’s family has expressed their immense grief through social media and a memorial fundraiser. Zyon Simpson, Daryl’s aunt, organized a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses and to honor her nephew’s memory. She described Daryl as "an amazing child full of life, love, and charisma," adding:
"He loved his parents, family, and friends, and he always wore a smile. He didn’t deserve this. No child deserves this. We will get justice… Until we meet again, I will definitely keep your name alive."
Implications for the Foster Care System and Juvenile Justice
This tragic case has illuminated several critical, systemic challenges facing South Carolina’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
1. The Challenges of Emergency and Temporary Placements
Foster care agencies nationwide grapple with a chronic shortage of foster homes, particularly for older youth and teenagers. Consequently, agencies frequently rely on emergency temporary placements.
In this instance, Daryl Martinez Lowry, a 13-year-old child, was placed in the same temporary home as a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old. Child welfare advocates argue that mixing younger, vulnerable children with older adolescents in temporary, high-stress environments without intensive, round-the-clock professional supervision can create volatile dynamics.
2. Screening and Risk Assessment Protocols
The tragedy raises critical questions about the background screening and risk assessment processes utilized by the South Carolina Department of Social Services:
Did the older teenagers have documented histories of behavioral issues, violence, or delinquency?
Was there a comprehensive safety plan in place for the foster home, given the age gaps and the temporary nature of the placements?
How frequently were caseworkers conducting site visits or evaluating the compatibility of the youth placed under the same roof?
These questions are likely to be central to both internal state reviews and potential civil litigation as the victim’s family seeks accountability.
3. Juvenile vs. Adult Prosecution in South Carolina
The legal trajectories of the two suspects will differ significantly based on South Carolina law.
Landen Austin Moore (17): In South Carolina, 17-year-olds charged with murder are automatically prosecuted as adults in the state’s General Sessions court system. If convicted of murder, Moore faces a minimum sentence of 30 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 16-Year-Old Suspect: Because he is under the age of 17, his case currently resides in the Family Court system under juvenile jurisdiction. However, prosecutors have the option to petition a Family Court judge to transfer ("waive") the juvenile to adult court, depending on his prior record, his degree of culpability, and the heinous nature of the crime.
As the state’s investigation remains active, the community of McCormick County and child advocates across South Carolina continue to mourn a life cut short, hoping that the legal process will bring clarity and justice to the memory of Daryl Martinez Lowry.
