Fairfield County Sheriff's Office, 250 N. Walnut Street, Winnsboro, SC (2026)

09/26/2026

✅ UPDATE: SHAYLA DAVIS HAS BEEN LOCATED SAFE ✅

We are happy to report that 16-year-old Shayla Kensley Davis has been located and is safe.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office SC for their assistance in helping us locate Shayla and bring this situation to a safe conclusion.

We also want to thank everyone who shared our original post, kept an eye out, and helped spread the word. Your willingness to share information quickly makes a real difference in situations like this.

Thank you to everyone who helped us bring Shayla home safely.

🚨 **MISSING JUVENILE – PLEASE SHARE** 🚨

You could put this at the very top of the existing post:

🚨 UPDATE: Shayla has now been confirmed to have been in Lancaster County, specifically in the Kennington Road / Flat Rock Road area.

We are asking anyone in that area to remain alert and contact 911 immediately if Shayla is seen. Please note her exact location, direction of travel, and any vehicle information if applicable.

Shayla has not yet been physically located by law enforcement.

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating **16-year-old Shayla Kensley Davis**.

Shayla was last seen at her home on **Smallwood Road in Winnsboro**. At the time she was last seen, she was wearing **pajama pants, a black shirt, and a gray hoodie**.

Her parents believe she may have left home voluntarily and may be with her boyfriend, **16-year-old Julien Watson**, who lives in **Kershaw County**.

We are asking everyone, particularly those in **Fairfield and Kershaw counties**, as well as surrounding counties, to be on the lookout for Shayla.

**If you see Shayla, please do not attempt to intervene.** Take note of her location, direction of travel, vehicle information if applicable, and any other details that may help law enforcement locate her. **Immediately call 911 or your local law enforcement agency.**

Please share this post to help us locate Shayla and make sure she is safe.

**Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office**

09/25/2026

🎉 **CONGRATULATIONS, SERGEANT JEANNETTE THIAW!** 🎉

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the promotion of **Jeannette Thiaw to the rank of Sergeant!**

Sgt. Thiaw joined the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office in August 2024 and holds the distinction of being the **first member of her family to enter the law enforcement profession.** In a relatively short time, she has distinguished herself through dedication, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to doing the job the right way.

Sgt. Thiaw is not one to simply accept an easy answer. When something doesn’t add up, she has an unrelenting desire to dig deeper, ask the right questions, and get to the bottom of the issue. That determination, combined with her strong work ethic, professionalism, and willingness to take on responsibility, has allowed her to advance quickly within our agency.

Please join **Sheriff Will Montgomery, and the entire Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office family** in congratulating **Sergeant Jeannette Thiaw** on this well-earned promotion!

**Congratulations, Sgt. Thiaw! We look forward to watching you continue to grow, lead, and serve the citizens of Fairfield County!** 👏🚔

09/23/2026

Narcotics Investigation Leads to Multiple Charges Following Search Warrant in Winnsboro
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, investigators with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division executed a search warrant at a residence located on Chatham Circle in the Chatham Forrest neighborhood of Winnsboro, South Carolina.
The search warrant was executed as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. During the ex*****on of the warrant, investigators located and seized evidence that furthered the investigation and resulted in the arrest of Jason Christopher McMurray.
McMurray was taken into custody without incident and subsequently transported to the Fairfield County Detention Center. He was charged with the following offenses:
• Trafficking He**in
• Trafficking Fentanyl
• Trafficking Methamphetamine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Ma*****na (PWID)
• Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor
• Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult
McMurray remains in custody at the Fairfield County Detention Center pending further judicial proceedings.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Investigators continue to follow leads and review evidence obtained during the investigation. Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.
The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to investigating illegal drug activity and addressing offenses that pose a threat to the safety and well-being of residents throughout Fairfield County.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

09/22/2026

Last night, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office held our quarterly **FCSO Family Get-Together** at First Baptist Church in Winnsboro.

These gatherings are always a great opportunity for our employees and their families to spend time together, enjoy fellowship, and strengthen the bonds that make our Sheriff’s Office family so special.

During the evening, Sheriff Montgomery and Chief Deputy Talbert took time to recognize members of the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office who have earned promotions since July 1, 2026. While not everyone who was recognized was able to attend last night, we are proud to congratulate each of them on this accomplishment:

• **Captain Bill Dove**
• **Lieutenant CID Barry Gilbert**
• **Senior Investigator CID Kyle Byrd**
• **Sergeant Harrison Wells**
• **Corporal Wilton Godwin**
• **Corporal Dewon Dean**
• **Criminal Investigator Dylan Davidson**
• **Criminal Investigator David Prigge**

Each of these promotions represents hard work, dedication, leadership, and a continued commitment to serving the citizens of Fairfield County.

We are proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the families who stand behind them and support the work they do every day.

Please join us in congratulating each of these officers on their well-deserved promotions!

09/18/2026

🎉 **Congratulations to Corporal Wilton Godwin!** 🎉

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the promotion of Wilton Godwin to the rank of Corporal.

Cpl. Godwin joined our agency approximately a year and a half ago and has quickly become a steady and dependable presence on Alpha Shift. He brings with him a lifetime of service, discipline, and hard work.

Before joining FCSO, Cpl. Godwin served four years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps Infantry with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines Heavy Weapons, followed by four years in the Marine Corps Reserve. He later served three and a half years in the Army National Guard as a Military Police officer.

After his military service, he spent 25 years as a commercial truck driver, helping deliver the goods and supplies that communities across America depend on every day.

Cpl. Godwin is known for being calm, level-headed, fair, and dependable. He approaches every situation with professionalism, handles what needs to be handled, and does so without unnecessary drama or fanfare. Those qualities have made him a respected member of Alpha Shift and an asset to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Please join us in congratulating Corporal Wilton Godwin on this well-earned promotion.

Strong leadership is not always the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes it is the steady presence others know they can count on — and Cpl. Godwin has proven to be exactly that.

Congratulations, Corporal Godwin! 🇺🇸🚔

09/18/2026

👊 Fist Bump Friday at Geiger Elementary! 🏫

There were plenty of smiles and fist bumps this morning as students arrived at Geiger Elementary School!

Sheriff Will Montgomery, Chief Deputy Jeff Talbert and SRO Sgt. José Soler, Jr, joined members of the Fairfield Central High School football team and cheerleaders to welcome students as they started their school day. The students were greeted with encouragement, high-fives, fist bumps, and some familiar faces from around our community.

Events like Fist Bump Friday are a great reminder of what makes Fairfield County special — our schools, law enforcement, students, athletes, and community coming together to support and encourage one another.

A big thank you to Geiger Elementary School and the Fairfield Central Griffins football team for allowing us to be a part of such a fun and positive start to the day!

👊🏈💙 Strong communities are built through strong relationships, and those relationships begin by showing up for one another. We are proud to stand alongside our schools, our young people, and our community partners as we work together to encourage the next generation and make Fairfield County an even better place to call home.

09/15/2026

NEWS RELEASE
On September 9, 2026, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of shots fired on Smallwood Road in the Ridgeway area of Fairfield County.

As a result of the investigation, Brandon T. Stukes, 37, of Bishopville, South Carolina, turned himself in to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office on September 11, 2026. Stukes was charged with Breach of Peace, High and Aggravated in Nature.

The investigation determined that Stukes was traveling through the area when he stopped and backed his vehicle into the driveway of a residence he believed to be abandoned. While there, Stukes was approached by a nearby property owner who advised him that he was on private property and needed to leave.

The two men exchanged words, and Stukes returned to his vehicle and began leaving the property. Investigators determined that as Stukes was leaving, he fired two rounds from his vehicle. Stukes later stated that he fired the rounds into the air.
The property owner stated that he believed Stukes was shooting at him and responded by firing three rounds in the direction of the departing vehicle.

During the investigation, deputies located fired cartridge casings consistent with the statements provided by those involved.

An independent witness’s account was consistent with the sequence established during the investigation, indicating that two shots were fired first, followed by the additional shots.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

If you have information about this incident, please contact Investigator Malcolm Henry at 803-635-4141. Reference case number 26-004442.

09/11/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting that occurred shortly before 2:00 a.m. on September 10, 2026, at America’s Best hotel across from the Fairfield Emergency Room.

The investigation determined that three individuals left the emergency room and walked across the roadway toward the hotel, with one of those individuals armed with a handgun. As they approached the hotel, the armed individual observed a man he knew standing outside one of the hotel rooms. The man at the hotel was unarmed. Upon seeing him, the armed individual ran toward the unarmed man, and a physical confrontation immediately followed.
According to an eyewitness who was present during the entire incident, the armed individual attempted to strike the man in the head with the handgun during the confrontation. Surveillance video obtained by investigators confirms that the armed individual initiated the confrontation and shows the two men struggling while a second individual begins running toward them.

During the struggle, the man being attacked was able to gain control of the handgun and fired, striking the armed individual in the shoulder. The second individual continued advancing toward the man, who then fired again, striking that individual in the leg.
Deputies and EMS personnel responded and provided aid to both injured individuals. Both were transported to Prisma Health Richland Hospital for treatment. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the individual who sustained the gunshot wound to the leg later died from his injuries.

Investigators conducted interviews, obtained and reviewed surveillance video, and compared the video with the accounts provided by those who witnessed or were involved in the incident. The evidence gathered during the investigation consistently showed that the individual who fired the shots had initially been attacked by an armed individual, gained control of the weapon during the struggle, and then used that weapon while the confrontation was continuing.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident should call Lt. Barry Gilbert at 803-635-4141.

09/11/2026

Today, the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Will Montgomery remember...

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken in acts of unimaginable evil. Families lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, parents, friends, and loved ones. Communities were shattered, and a nation watched in disbelief as tragedy unfolded before our eyes.

Yet, in the midst of that darkness, we witnessed extraordinary courage.

Firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, military members, and countless ordinary citizens ran toward danger when every instinct told them to run away. They climbed stairwells, carried the injured, comforted strangers, and sacrificed their own safety—and in many cases their own lives—to save others.

Their bravery reminds us of what true heroism looks like.

September 11 is more than a date in history. It is a solemn reminder of the lives that were lost, the families who still carry that loss, the first responders who gave everything, and the countless men and women who answered the call to serve our country in the years that followed.

Twenty-five years later, we pause to honor them all.

May we continue to tell their stories. May we continue to honor their sacrifice. May we remember how, in one of America’s darkest hours, courage, compassion, service, and unity shone brightly.

We will remember those we lost.
We will honor those who served.
We will never forget.

**September 11, 2001 — Never Forget. 🇺🇸**

Fairfield County Sheriff's Office

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