By Mike McCombs
The Island News
A Beaufort woman is in custody, charged with murder in the shooting death of her roommate in August.
Renita Talia Boardman, 34, was arrested at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at home at the Spanish Trace Apartments at 2400 Southside Blvd.
Boardman faces charges of Murder and Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime in connection with the August 19 shooting of Tyrone Richmond Jr., 37, of Yemassee. Richmond later died August 21 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Beaufort Police officers responded to a reported shooting at 8:19 a.m., Saturday, Aug, 19, at the same Spanish Trace apartment at which Boardman was arrested Saturday.
“Two folks were arguing over property,” Deputy Chief Lt. Col. Stephenie Price, the department spokesperson, told The Island News at the time. “The argument escalated, and one party shot another.”
Price made it clear from the beginning this was not a domestic incident – the two individuals simply lived together.
Richmond, estranged from his wife and going through a divorce, according to a family member, was temporarily living with Boardman.
According to Price, the shooter did not flee the scene and was present when police arrived, but no arrest was made and no charges were immediately filed, though the Beaufort Police’s social media update on the incident at 3:31 p.m., that day stated, “The scene is clear and a person of interest is in custody.”
“I want to emphasize that there is no threat to the public,” Price said at the time.
Though Boardman was almost immediately identified as the shooter, charges were not filed until Thursday, Oct. 26. Soon thereafter, the Beaufort Police informed the public they were looking for her.
According to Price, police received a tip early Saturday morning that Boardman had returned home and arrested her there. As of press time, she remains incarcerated in the Beaufort County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
