‘One of the most horrific cases’: Judge sentences Loris man convicted in rape, kidnapping, manslaughter case

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A Loris man was found guilty in a case that the prosecutor called one of the most horrific cases she has seen in her career.

A Horry County jury convicted 47-year-old Antonio Long late Wednesday night of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and voluntary manslaughter.

The solicitor’s office said it all started on the night of Dec. 23, 2020 at a home on Papas Bay Road Kevonta Hills confronted Long about inappropriately touching a 17-year-old girl.

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During the fight, Long got a gun and during the struggle, Hills and Marlene Haywood were shot and killed.

After the killings, Long raped the 17-year-old girl at gunpoint who was inside the home and then kidnapped her.

He eventually set her free in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, which is about three hours away from Loris.

“This is one of the most horrific cases I have seen in my thirty-year career. The defendant destroyed a family and forever scarred the 17-year-old victim at what should be the most joyous time of the year,” Mary-Ellen Walter, the senior solicitor who prosecuted case, said. “I am truly proud of the sexual assault victim, now 19 years old, who had the courage to take the stand, testify, and face down the defendant. I am thankful that we were able to ensure that the defendant will spend the rest of his natural life in prison for these atrocities. We are grateful to the hard work and dedication of the Horry County Police Department, in particular, the lead investigator Detective Drew Edwards.”

The jury found Long guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping for the incidents involving the 17-year-old. But they convicted him of voluntary manslaughter for the killing of Hills and acquitted him for the murder of Marlene Haywood.

The judge sentenced Long to 90 years in prison.

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