Fourth arrest made after death of man kept in dog kennel
Charles William Book. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Brittany Nichole Caraway. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Paislee Ann Davis. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Krystyn Kelly-Hines. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
By Stephan Drew, Editor
A fourth suspect has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping/murder of Trey Lee Montrose. On October 8, 2022, Montrose’s body was found in the area of Victor White Road, near Timmonsville. He was identified by the coroner and an investigation began. On Dec. 28, 2022, Charles William Book was arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. According to arrest warrants, Book confined Montrose in a dog kennel before shooting him.
Florence deputies later determined that the murder took place in Darlington County before the body was found in Florence and Darlington County Sheriff’s deputies took over the investigation. It is being handled by their Homicide Unit and, in the past 30 days, they have arrested and charged 3 other suspects as well.
Charles William Book is now joined by Brittany Nichole Caraway, Paisley Ann Davis and Krystyn Domynyck Kelly-Hines, all charged with kidnapping and murder. Allegedly, the four were all involved in the willful kidnapping, confinement and torture of Montrose, as well as his death by gunshot. Sheriff Hudson stated how sinister the case is and how sad such a thing is for our community. “Unfortunately, we are dealing with a rash of incidents where people do not have any respect for human life anymore,” he said.
Tips from citizens in the community and other vital information helped the investigators discover the truth about the case. Hudson said, “We are just thankful that we have people that do have a conscience.” Hudson stated that Trey Lee Montrose’s family deserves justice and some closure.
Darlington County Sheriff James Hudson Jr. said the department can’t disclose where Montrose was killed but, will release the location in time. Hudson complimented Florence County investigators for their work on the case. “Florence County did a great job initially in gathering information and it was given to our homicide team, so we jumped on it,” Hudson said. He has contacted the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and feels that he has a solid case. He also added that, since the investigation is ongoing, more arrests could come in the future.
Book, Caraway and Kelly-Hines have been denied bond and remain in custody at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center in Darlington. Davis has been released on bond.
