Young father murdered outside of Columbia townhome: “It doesn’t add up”

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - This week, a midlands family is reeling from the death of a son, brother and father following his murder in Columbia.

Relatives tell WIS that 27-year-old Dekwan Lamont Murphy was the victim of a fatal shooting incident outside of his children’s home late Monday night.

“Whoever did this should suffer, too. Suffer just like me,” said Kimberly Murphy, Dekwan’s grieving mother.

According to an incident report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), they responded to a shooting at Creek Drive and Timber Court after 11 p.m.

When deputies arrived at the townhome in question, they found Murphy lying unconscious in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds.

First responders observed several spent shell casings in the areas.

Within the hour, Murphy was pronounced dead and loaded into a body bag.

“He was a good man to his kids, a good father to his kids. His oldest son sees him as his superhero,” said Amy Richardson, Murphy’s aunt.

According to his aunt, Murphy was picking up something from the home of his children’s mother when he was killed.

It wasn’t uncommon for Murphy to frequent his ex-girlfriend’s house as they share three children together. Richardson told WIS that Murphy had loaned the woman $40 on Monday.

All of Murphy’s children—three boys ages nine, five and three—were reportedly inside the townhome when Murphy was killed. This, as well as several other guests who we’re told were not present by the time family arrived.

One eyewitness, a family member who was riding a passenger with Murphy the night of his murder, said the gunfire came from inside the house when Murphy was instructed to enter from the back.

The witness said shots were fired from inside the ex-girlfriend’s home, specifically from the second-floor balcony when Murphy ran back outside.

On Thursday, WIS took note of the glass doors overlooking Murphy’s murder scene. The glass was busted out and boarded shut.

“He knew there was more to life than where he came from. The lifestyle he lived. He knew he wanted to be better. And he was going to make a better life for his son’s,” said Lanoishia, Murphy’s girlfriend.

Lanoishia told WIS that she had a wonderful 13-minute phone call with Murphy on the night of his murder. They were planning on seeing each other when she got off work.

“Before we got off the phone I said, ‘I love you.’ He said, ‘I love you too, shorty.’ I’m okay with that. I’m at peace with that. It was our last phone call, and it was a great phone call,” continued Lanoishia.

As of Thursday, RCSD is still following leads and conducting interviews. A spokesperson said there are no suspects to name at this time.

Since his death, the Murphy family has launched a GoFundMe to pay for out-of-pocket funeral expenses. We’re told he didn’t have insurance.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article's headline.

Stay up to date with WIS News 10. Get the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and Stream us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.

Copyright 2023 WIS. All rights reserved.