A rural road outside Johnsonville, South Carolina, has become the focus of a chilling story of a teenage love triangle turned deadly. Authorities say a 16-year-old boy, Trey Dean Wright, was lured to his death in June by a group of teenagers waiting to carry out the most brutal of violence. Nine teenagers have now been arrested in connection with the case — including Wright’s girlfriend.
Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to First Neck Road on the night of June 24 following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival they found Wright’s body in the road riddled with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Local police allege that Wright’s girlfriend, 17-year-old Gianna Helene Kistenmache brought him to the back road where a group of teens including 19-year-old Devan Raper, were lying in wait. Sheriff T.J. Joye described the motive simply: “The two teens had issues with each other, and it was over a female. The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?”
Raper was arrested on June 25 and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Days later, Kistenmacher was charged as an accessory before the fact. She has since been granted bond and released on home confinement.
The case widened in early August, when three more teenagers from Myrtle Beach — Hunter Matthew Kendall, 18, Corrinne Elizabeth Belviso, 18, and Sydney Marissa Kearns, 17 — were charged with murder. Four additional minors have also been charged but their names remain withheld due to their age.
Florence County investigators allege the group acted together, facilitating the confrontation and knowing Raper had already threatened Wright with a firearm. One of the teens reportedly recorded the shooting on video.
Under South Carolina law, the five minors face adult charges. Raper and Kendall remain held without bond at the Florence County Detention Center. Belviso and Kearns each posted $20,000 bonds and were released pending trial.
The tragedy has shaken Johnsonville, a small community about 50 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach. For residents, the story of a boy drawn into a fatal trap by people he thought he could trust — his girlfriend among them — has left deep questions about how teenage drama could escalate into deadly violence.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare for what could be a long and complicated trial.
