A tragic murder occurred in Florence County, South Carolina, where 40-year-old Dana Marie Kinlaw was shot and set on fire inside her vehicle on January 22, 2026. Authorities believe she was lured to the remote location under the pretense of buying a puppy.
Incident Details
Sheriff TJ Joye stated that Kinlaw rode with 19-year-old Iryanna Jarissa Fleming, a supposed friend, to Atlantic Road in Effingham, where the ambush took place. Fleming, along with 31-year-old Daquinn Taheen Thomas, allegedly shot Kinlaw in the back of the head before dousing her body with a flammable liquid and igniting the car.
Suspects and Arrests
Thomas and Fleming were arrested on January 22 and charged with murder, first-degree arson, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A third suspect, 31-year-old Nikko Christopher Carraway, was taken into custody on January 28 facing identical charges; all three remain at Florence County Detention Center.
Motive
Joye described the killing as retaliation linked to a Darlington County homicide last year, in which Kinlaw’s son was reportedly involved; he emphasized the “no respect for human life” in staging the puppy sale as a trap. Thomas and Carraway have prior convictions, including Thomas’s 2025 prison term for firearm possession as a felon.
