Victim identified in Rock Hill homicide. Suspect charged with murder, kidnapping
A Rock Hill man has been identified as the victim in Friday’s fatal shooting in York County, officials said.
Richard Crank, Jr., 32, died in the shooting, according to Sabrina Gast, York County Coroner.
An autopsy and toxicology are pending.
The shooting happened in the late afternoon at a home on Faires Road off McConnells Highway southwest of Rock Hill, York County Sheriff’s Office deputies said.
The suspect charged with murder also now faces additional charges.
Detectives charged Stephen Josiah Brooks, 34, of Rock Hill, with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to Sheriff Kevin Tolson and arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.
The arrest warrant for murder states Crank was shot multiple times.
Brooks also was charged with three counts of kidnapping in the incident, arrest warrants show. Brooks allegedly took phones from others while armed with a handgun after the violent crime happened, according to the warrants.
Deputies have not released any other details about the shooting or alleged kidnapping.
A conviction for murder in South Carolina carries a sentence of 30 years in prison to life. Each kidnapping charge carries up to 30 years for a conviction.
Ryan Newkirk, the defense attorney from the 16th Circuit Public Defender office handling the case, said the defense will be conducting its own investigation into the allegations and under the law Brooks is presumed innocent.
“The defense case is ongoing,” Newkirk said.
Brooks remains in custody at the York County Detention Center after bail was denied in court, online jail records show. No trial date has been set.
This story was originally published May 10, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
