Police: Man murdered after suspects respond to Craigslist ad

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The Charleston County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday that Apps, of Meeting Street, was found dead by detectives near a power substation off Magrath Darby Boulevard around 8:30 p.m. Monday, several days after he was reported missing.

At a press conference Tuesday, Sheriff Al Cannon said Apps was trying to sell his 2006 Chevrolet truck on Craigslist, and the suspects responded to his ad on Thursday. He met the two men at a Hardees on Spring Street in downtown Charleston.

"The victim's mother was also present in a separate vehicle," Cannon said."The victim advised her to go on and that the sale was not going to occur at that time. That he was going to take the two individuals back to their home."

According to Cannon, shortly after the victim and the suspects left Hardees, they went over the Ravenel Bridge where Apps was shot and killed. Cannon said he believes that Apps was shot in the front passenger seat based on evidence collected.

Cannon said the suspects then dragged Apps' body in a wooded area off of Magrath Darby Boulevard.

Scott then drove Apps' truck to USC Beaufort to party with friends after the shooting, deputies say. After he was caught, Cannon said Scott led authorities to Apps' body Monday night.

Affidavits released on Tuesday relate a differing story that includes a home in Mt. Pleasant and two unidentified men. The affidavit states that after the sale of Apps' truck didn't go through at Hardees, Apps drove the men to a home on Mathis Ferry Road in Mt. Pleasant where they met two unidentified people, one of whom was armed with a gun. According to court records, the victim was taken out of his truck at gunpoint against his will, and held at the home.

The affidavit states at some point Scott left the area, and when he came back, Scott and the other suspects forced Apps into his truck. The suspects and victim rode around in the truck for a period of time, and at one point while crossing the Ravenel Bridge, Apps, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the truck, was shot by one of the suspects in the neck, according to an affidavit.

Court records state Scott voluntarily admitted that he met with Apps, and voluntarily escorted detectives to the scene where the victim's body was dumped.

Beaufort County deputies were led to Scott after discovering the victim's debit card was used at location in Bluffton on October 4, one day after he went missing. Phone records showed Scott was one of the last people to be in contact with Apps before his disappearance.

According to Beaufort County Sheriff's Sergeant Robin McIntosh, Scott met with deputies on Sunday and claimed he purchased the truck from Apps, but Apps did not have the title at the time. Scott went on to say Apps gave him his debit card as collateral until the deal could be finalized.

Beaufort County deputies then made contact with Charleston County deputies, believing that was Apps' last known location.

Apps was last seen in the area of Spring Street in downtown Charleston and in the I'on subdivision in Mt. Pleasant last Thursday around 5 p.m. Apps' friends and family took to social media pleading for information on his whereabouts over the weekend after losing contact with him.

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