South Carolina – A South Carolina woman, 19-year-old I. FIeming, and two men, Daquin and Niko, both 31, were arrested and charged with murder, first-degree arson and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime following an incident in South Carolina that left a 40-year-old woman dead, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation process began last week when deputies responded to reports of a vehicIe fire in a rural area. The fire was discovered around 5:45 p.m., with the vehicle still fully engulfed in flames when firefighters and deputies arrived at the scene.

Once the blaze was under control, officials found a human body inside the car. The victim was later identified as 40-year-old D. KinIaw, by the Coroner’s Office. Responding investigators quickly shifted the situation from a fire call to a homicide investigation after preliminary examination suggested the victim had been shot before the vehicle was set on fire.

According to the South Carolina aauthorities, investigators learned that the victim believed she was traveling to a meeting to buy an animaI pe t and had gone to the rural location with the 19-year-old defendant, whom she knew, under that pretense. Sheriff Joe said in a statement that the 19-year-old defendant was a friend of the victim and that the two rode together, supposedly to complete a sale of the pet the victim wanted to purchase.

Instead of a legitimate sale, deputies say the victim was kiIIed inside the vehicIe. Investigators allege that after the shooting, someone poured a fIammable Iiquid on her body and ignited the fire while she was still inside the car. By the time deputies reached the scene, the fire was still actively burning around the victim’s remains.

The sheriff’s office and coroner worked together at the scene, and KinIaw’s body was subsequently removed and scheduled for a formal autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina, as part of the ongoing investigation into her death.

South Carolina authorities began the inquiry by interviewing witnesses and piecing together the victim’s last movements. They determined that two of the defendants (SEE PHOTO) were involved in the incident and took both into custody on January 23, 2026, charging them with murder, first-degree arson and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Both remained detained at the county detention center awaiting bond hearings.

Deputies later arrested Niko on Wednesday and charged him with the same offenses as the other two co-defendants: murder, first-degree arson and possession of a weapon during a vioIent crime. He was also held at the county detention center.

Officials told local media that the investigation is active and ongoing, and that additional information about the case may be revealed as detectives continue to gather evidence and statements.

Sheriff Joe suggested a possible motive, telling reporters that investigators believe the kiIIing may have been retaIiation for a separate homicide in neighboring county, in which the victim’s famiIy member is suspected of involvement. While law enforcement has publicly mentioned that link, they have not released full details on what evidence ties the two incidents together.

At this stage, law enforcement officials have focused on gathering forensic evidence, witness statements and other investigative leads to understand the roles of each suspect. Deputies have not publicly detailed whether any of the three suspects has made formal statements about the event during interviews with authorities.