A man will serve 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to a shooting that killed another man on Alton Street in North Charleston in 2018.
Kenneth Siguenza pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Eston Shoaf, 33, on December 23, 2018.
The shooting occurred after Shoaf pulled over for a tractor on Alton Street. According to police, Shoaf got out of his truck and argued with Siguenza, who was on the tractor, in an attempt to get him to move.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors stated that Shoaf slapped Siguenza out of frustration before retreating to his car to leave.
Prosecutors claim Siguenza shot Shoaf as he was leaving, as evidenced by the two fatal shots to his back. Prosecutors say this was a road rage incident that, while unacceptable, did not justify using deadly force against Shoaf as he fled.
Shoaf’s mother and stepfather spoke with Live 5 News in August 2023, expressing dissatisfaction with the lengthy justice process and the flaws in the system that allowed their son’s alleged killer to be arrested while out on bond for the past six and a half years.
Deborah Shoaf Dawsey spoke with a shaking voice during the sentencing, as she has done at bond and other hearings throughout the case. Shoaf’s eldest daughter also spoke, reading from notes about her father’s death and how it affected her life.
“The holidays are unbearable. Christmas is just a time, and New Year’s brings back memories of ringing in the new year without my father. Father’s Day is painful. I don’t think so. I don’t get to hug him or take his call. Shoaf’s daughter said, “I get to visit his grave with flowers, just like I did four days ago for his birthday.”
She and her family urged the judge to impose a 20-year sentence.
“Your Honor, I beg you with everything in you to give him the maximum difference allowed. My family has received a life sentence of grief, loss, trauma, depression, anxiety, and the list goes on. The perpetrator should bear the consequences of his actions. Please don’t treat his death like any other case. “He was my dad,” Shoaf’s daughter stated.
When Siguenza turned to apologize to the family, tensions in the room rose significantly. He acknowledged that not only had they lost someone, but so had his family. One of Shoaf’s daughters burst into tears, saying, “You’re still standing right there.”
Judge Roger Young commented on how testosterone and firearms have claimed lives once more. Young sentenced Siguenza to 12 years active prison time with five years probation and gave him credit for 1,450 days already served, which is just under four years. Siguenza’s pending charges for Dorchester County robberies and Berkeley County habitual traffic offenses will be dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Shoaf’s family reacted emotionally to the sentencing, with some gasping and crying in frustration at the 12-year sentence following a six and a half-year wait for a sentencing date.
