A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to a 2023 murder.
The 15th Circuit Solicitor鈥檚 Office announced that on Wednesday, Oct. 30, Mitchell Keith Sykes II was sentenced to 35 years in prison for murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jordan Drake last May. The release states that Sykes and Drake were from the same town in North Carolina and knew each other before the shooting. The two were from Wingate, North Carolina.
鈥淭he two men were friends growing up until they had a falling out sometime before this incident occurred,鈥 the release states. 鈥淲hile both men were visiting Myrtle Beach, they decided to meet in order to put their differences aside. Seemingly out of nowhere, Sykes pulled out a firearm and shot and killed Drake in front of multiple witnesses.鈥
Assistant solicitor Elizabeth Bryant prosecuted the case and Judge Benjamin Culbertson presided over the hearing. Sykes, a 22-year-old, will serve a 35 year sentence and must serve every day of the 35-year sentence before he is released.
鈥淎 special thanks to Detective Sean Wydra with the Horry County Police Department who conducted an excellent and thorough investigation of this case,鈥 Bryant said. 鈥淲e would also like to thank the family and friends of Jordan Drake for showing their support during every court hearing, as well as for a particularly impactful statement given to the court during sentencing.鈥
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