Staff reports
A Seabrook man has been arrested by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) in connection with the death of a missing and endangered Dale man in January.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, investigators served 36-year-old Kevin Maurice Johnson, of Seabrook, with warrants for his arrest on the charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in connection with the disappearance and subsequent death of 49-year-old Darren Mulligan.
Johnson was already in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center. Johnson was initially taken into custody on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, on outstanding arrest warrants and additionally charged with a drug-related offense.
According to the Detention Center’s website, Johnson remains confined as of Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Mulligan, who was wheelchair-bound, was last seen leaving the Albany Grocery Store around 1 p.m., that same Saturday. His family was concerned for his well-being due to his difficulty getting around and the amount of time he was missing.
The BCSO first asked for the public’s help locating Mulligan on Thursday, Jan. 16, after he was reported missing to the Sheriff’s Office by the family on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
According to the BCSO, on January 20, 2025, deputies were led to a home on Gibbet Road in Bluffton, where Mulligan was found dead. Following an autopsy, the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office ruled Mulligan’s death a homicide.
Through the investigation, according to the BCSO, Johnson was identified as an individual responsible for Mulligan’s death, and arrest warrants were obtained.
The investigation into this case continues and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Corporal Petruzzi at 843-255-3267. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, online at www.TIPSBFT.com, or by calling 1-844-TIPSBFT (1-844-847-7238).
