South-Carolina
South Carolina man faces first-degree murder trial in deadly 2022 Fayetteville robbery
A South Carolina man will face a Cumberland County jury in November for his involvement in a deadly robbery at a Yadkin Road business.
Quinteel Pierre Harley, 37, of Loris, South Carolina, is charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the death of Eddie Saez Jr., 34, of Fayetteville, who was shot and killed inside his Yadkin Road shop in 2022.
Harley’s trial is set for Nov. 14 in Cumberland County Superior Court. Assistant District Attorney Rob Thompson said it is the only murder trial scheduled for November.
Harley’s codefendant, Rasheem Grant, 32, of South Carolina, pleaded guilty March 5 to second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the killing. Grant was sentenced to 23 to 28 years, eight months in prison, according to court records.
Shopkeeper killed as he prepared to ring up items
According to search warrants, police responded to reports of a shooting around 3 p.m. Jan. 4, 2022, at Southern Swag City Boutique on Yadkin Road. Saez was found inside the store with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the autopsy report. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly before the shooting, surveillance footage at the shop recorded a man exiting an Infiniti SUV, entering the business and browsing as if shopping, according to the warrant.
The warrant states a second man joined him in the store, and the two continued browsing before bringing items to the counter.
As Saez began folding the items, the warrant states, one of the men feigned payin,g and then two intruders pulled out weapons. The record states that the men are seen on surveillance video ordering Saez around the store before shooting him.
The warrant states that after the gunfire, one of the men collects a firearm near Saez’s body, before both left the scene in the Infiniti SUV.
The record says that several anonymous CrimeStopper tips identified Harley as one of the suspects after police released photos to the public in a bid to identify the shooters, according to the warrant.
The record also alleges that latent prints found at the scene matched Grant and that his Grant’s phone records showed he was in contact with Harley and in the area of the clothing store three minutes before the first call to 911 reported the shooting.
Grant was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Columbia, South Carolina, 10 days after the killing.
Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.