State v. Narkevious M. Reid

THIS OPINION HAS NO PRECEDENTIAL VALUE. IT SHOULD NOT BE
CITED OR RELIED ON AS PRECEDENT IN ANY PROCEEDING
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY RULE 268(d)(2), SCACR.

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
In The Court of Appeals

The State, Respondent,

v.

Narkevious Manquese Reid, Appellant.

Appellate Case No. 2022-001384

Appeal From Greenwood County
Frank R. Addy, Jr., Circuit Court Judge

Unpublished Opinion No. 2025-UP-233
Submitted June 2, 2025 – Filed July 16, 2025

AFFIRMED

Appellate Defender Sarah Elizabeth Shipe, of Columbia,
for Appellant.

Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Assistant
Attorney General Joshua Abraham Edwards, both of
Columbia, for Respondent.

PER CURIAM: This is a direct appeal stemming from a shooting at an apartment
complex in Greenwood. The appellant is Narkevious Reid. Reid and two
codefendants, Dashawn Hurley and Xayvion Hill, were tried on multiple charges.
The three defendants were convicted of attempted murder and criminal conspiracy
as to the two targets of this shooting. On appeal, Reid contends the trial court erred
in denying his directed verdict motion on those charges. Because we find sufficient
evidence to warrant sending the case to the jury, we affirm.

"A defendant is entitled to a directed verdict when the State fails to produce evidence
of the offense charged." State v. Walker, 349 S.C. 49, 53, 562 S.E.2d 313, 315
(2002). "In reviewing a motion for directed verdict, the trial judge is concerned with
the existence of the evidence, not with its weight." Id. "If there is any direct
evidence or substantial circumstantial evidence reasonably tending to prove the guilt
of the accused, the appellate court must find the case was properly submitted to the
jury." State v. Rosemond, 356 S.C. 426, 429–30, 589 S.E.2d 757, 758 (2003). On
appeal, this court "view[s] the evidence in the light most favorable to the State."
Walker, 349 S.C. at 53, 562 S.E.2d at 315. "Unless there is a total failure of
competent evidence as to the charges alleged, refusal by the trial judge to direct a
verdict of acquittal is not error." State v. Arnold, 361 S.C. 386, 389, 605 S.E.2d 529,
531 (2004); see also State v. Cherry, 361 S.C. 588, 594, 606 S.E.2d 475, 478 (2004)
("[A] trial judge is not required to find that the evidence infers guilt to the exclusion
of any other reasonable hypothesis.").

Reid concedes the State presented evidence that he and his alleged coconspirators
were friends with each other and with Jakevius Parker. Parker was murdered by a
friend of the two targets in this shooting. Reid also concedes there was evidence
that he and codefendant Hurley were present at the apartment complex, that they
drove one of their injured friends to the hospital after the shooting, and that Reid was
shirtless at the hospital, like one of the men a witness identified at the shooting. Reid
contends, however, that this evidence alone does not amount to "substantial
circumstantial evidence" that would show Reid conspired with the others or
committed attempted murder. We disagree.

The State presented evidence that a black Toyota Camry was driving
"suspicious[ly]" around the apartment complexes immediately prior to the shooting.
The State also presented evidence that there were multiple people in that car, and at
least one of those people got out of the car immediately before the shooting and took
the direct path from Gardens at Parkway (where the Camry appeared to be parked
waiting) to Hillcrest (where the shooting occurred). The person seen exiting the
vehicle moments before the gunfire was wearing a shirt at least similar to the shirt
Reid's codefendant, Hill, was wearing. Another witness identified three men at the
shooting, one of whom was shirtless and holding a gun.
The Camry was again identified near the scene at Gardens at Parkway when another
witness saw a person (Reid's alleged coconspirator, Alston, who later died) hanging
out of the vehicle as the car sped away. Hill was arriving at this same location as
the Camry left. Within minutes, the Camry pulled up to the nearby hospital, Hurley
was captured on video coming out of the driver's side, and Reid was seen shirtless
assisting Alston into a wheelchair. Reid and Hurley immediately left the hospital
without speaking to hospital staff or law enforcement.

Two guns were found at the scene: one was left where the Camry was parked at
Gardens at Parkway, and the other was left much closer to the scene of the shooting.
Alston and Hill both tested positive for gunshot residue, and it was deemed highly
likely Alston's DNA was on the gun left in the parking lot where the Camry had
been.

While the State's theory that this shooting was retaliation for the earlier murder of
Parker could not be clearly spelled out due to the court's exclusion of evidence
related to everyone's alleged gang affiliation, the State introduced evidence that
Hurley, Reid, Hill, and Parker were friends, as well as evidence that the victims in
this shooting were friends with Parker's murderer. The State elicited testimony about
Parker's murder primarily through a detective.

The ultimate question is whether the evidence presented in this case rises to more
than mere suspicion and would allow a reasonable juror to "fairly and logically
deduce[]" Reid's guilt. State v. Schrock, 283 S.C. 129, 132, 322 S.E.2d 450, 452
(1984) ("The trial judge should grant a directed verdict motion when the evidence
merely raises a suspicion that the accused is guilty. It is [the judge's] duty[,
however,] to submit the case to the jury if there is any evidence, either direct or
circumstantial, which reasonably tends to prove the guilt of the accused, or from
which guilt may be fairly and logically deduced."). Viewing the evidence in the
light most favorable to the State, we answer that question "yes" and affirm the denial
of the directed verdict motion.

AFFIRMED. 1

THOMAS, HEWITT, and CURTIS, JJ., concur.

1
We decide this case without oral argument pursuant to Rule 215, SCACR.