Authorities found Dana Marie Kinlaw, 40, shot and set on fire inside a vehicle in Effingham, South Carolina, after she reportedly went to meet someone she believed was selling a puppy. Deputies discovered the scene on Jan. 22 at approximately 5:45 p.m. Two suspects—19-year-old Iryanna Jarissa Fleming and 31-year-old Daquinn Taheen Thomas—have been charged with murder and weapon possession, and a third suspect, Nikko Christopher Carraway, was later arrested and charged with murder and first-degree arson. Officials say investigators believe the killing may be retaliatory and connected to a separate Darlington County homicide; an autopsy has been ordered and the probe remains active.
Woman Who Said She Was Going To Buy A Puppy Found Shot And Set On Fire In Effingham, S.C.
From Left: Iryanna Fleming, Daquinn Thomas and Nikko Christopher CarrawayFlorence County Detention Center
Authorities in Florence County, South Carolina, say a 40-year-old woman was fatally shot and her body set on fire after she went to meet someone she believed was selling a puppy.
Deputies responded to reports of a vehicle on fire on Atlantic Road near Springbranch Road in the Effingham area on Jan. 22. When officers arrived at about 5:45 p.m., they discovered the body of Dana Marie Kinlaw, 40, of Olanta, inside the vehicle, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 23 release.
Daquinn ThomasFlorence County Detention Center
Arrests and Charges
Investigators arrested 19-year-old Iryanna Jarissa Fleming and 31-year-old Daquinn Taheen Thomas in connection with the killing. The sheriff’s office alleges Fleming and Thomas intentionally shot Kinlaw and then set her body on fire inside the vehicle. Both were charged with Murder and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime and are being held at the Florence County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
Iryanna FlemingFlorence County Detention Center
On Jan. 28, authorities also arrested 31-year-old Nikko Christopher Carraway. He faces charges including Murder, First-Degree Arson, and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime, the sheriff said.
Possible Motive And Investigation
Nikko Christopher CarrawayFlorence County Detention Center
Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye told local outlets that Kinlaw thought she was meeting to buy a puppy and that Fleming, described as a friend, had reportedly ridden with her to the location. Joye said investigators believe the killing may have been retaliatory and connected to an earlier homicide in neighboring Darlington County; authorities suspect Kinlaw’s son may have had some involvement in that separate case.
“Supposedly, they went there together,” Sheriff Joye told NBC affiliate WMBF. He added investigators believe a liquid was poured on Kinlaw before she was set on fire.
Coroner Von Lutcken has ordered an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and pursue leads. PEOPLE and local outlets have contacted the Florence County Sheriff’s Office for additional comment.
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