Case against teen suspect in Coligny Beach shooting death delayed

The case against the 15-year-old suspected of shooting Dominique Williams to death in a Hilton Head Island park last summer was continued Thursday morning at the request of the defense, according to deputy 14th Circuit Solicitor Sean Thornton.

The teen, wearing a bright orange polo shirt, khaki pants and shackles on his wrists and ankles, appeared in Family Court at the Beaufort County Courthouse about 9:30 a.m.

Family members of both the suspect and victim were also present. A member of the Williams family wept when the suspect was escorted into the courtroom by armed officers.

Thornton declined to provide details on why the case was continued or the date that it will be rescheduled.

Two calls made by the newspaper Thursday to Solicitor Duffie Stone to inquire about when the case will be rescheduled were not returned. Two other calls to Stone’s office were also not returned.

Williams, 17, was shot in the head and died July 19, 2015, near the Coligny Beach fountain on Hilton Head.

The pair allegedly engaged in a fist fight the day before the shooting, an investigation revealed.

The suspect’s parents turned him in to law enforcement two days later. He was charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center in Columbia.

He is not being named because of his age.

This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Case against teen suspect in Coligny Beach shooting death delayed."