From staff reports
A suspect in a June murder on St. Helena Island is behind bars.
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Mekhi J. Moultrie, who was wanted for murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, surrendered to authorities in Goose Creek on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
Sheriff’s deputies transported Moultrie to the Beaufort County Detention Center Thursday, Sept. 14, where he awaits a bond hearing.
Moultrie’s charges stem from the June 27 murder of 36-year-old Brandon Lee Simmons on Harbor Breeze Drive on St. Helena Island. Simmons was shot to death in his vehicle in the road leading to his home.
At approximately 11:50 p.m., BCSO deputies were called to the area for a report of shots fired. The person who called 911 initially reported hearing gunfire and then noticed a vehicle sitting in the roadway.
When deputies arrived, they found Simmons deceased in the car, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators connected Moultrie to the crime through forensic examination of evidence collected at the crime scene. Arrest warrants were obtained on Sept. 6. Investigators had been actively seeking to locate him prior to his surrender.
