A New York man, Charles Saunders, 50, has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting a South Carolina couple who were once connected to his family. A jury found Saunders guilty of murdering 40-year-old Alesia Dykes and 38-year-old Bernard Lyles in June 2024. The couple lived in Hardeeville, near the Georgia border, and had opened their home to Saunders’ adult son, whose mother is Dykes’ sister. Saunders had traveled from New York to visit the area around the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said tensions had been escalating between Saunders and Lyles in the days leading up to the killings. According to the state, Saunders posted a social media video showing himself holding firearms and threatening to shoot someone before arriving at the couple’s apartment on June 18, 2024.
Shooting and Arrest
Authorities said Saunders began arguing with Dykes and Lyles outside their apartment before the confrontation turned physical. The couple retreated inside their home, but Saunders followed and fired a 9 mm handgun into the residence while three children were inside. After the shooting, one of the children ran to a nearby relative’s home to seek help. Dykes was pronounced dead at the scene, and Lyles later died at a hospital from his injuries.
Surveillance footage captured Saunders attempting to evade law enforcement. Prosecutors said he removed his shirt and discarded it in a dumpster; police later recovered it and found gunshot residue. He was later seen getting into a vehicle and being dropped off at a nearby Waffle House, where officers located and arrested him.
Trial and Sentencing
During the three-day trial, Dykes’ sister testified that she learned about the shooting from her son, who told her that Saunders had shot both victims. Saunders’ defense attorneys argued that he acted in self-defense, but the jury rejected that claim and returned guilty verdicts on two counts of murder after about an hour of deliberation.
Saunders was sentenced to two life sentences plus five years in prison, ensuring he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
