Treyon McLellan
DILLON COUNTY, S.C. — A nearly decade-old double homicide that shook the Pee Dee community in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew has reached a long-awaited resolution. Treyon McLellan, 39, has pleaded guilty in connection with the 2016 killings of two Dillon County residents.
Guilty Plea and Sentence
McLellan pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of possessing a weapon during a violent crime. The plea agreement replaced the original murder charges.
A judge sentenced him to 30 years for the manslaughter charges, which will run concurrently, followed by an additional three years for the weapons charge. With credit for time already served—more than nine years—McLellan will remain behind bars for the remainder of his 33-year sentence.
Local prosecutors acknowledged the years of work that went into the case, noting the challenges investigators faced while working through the chaos and displacement caused by the hurricane.
The 2016 Crime
The killings occurred on October 12, 2016, when deputies responded to a house fire on Nelson Drive in the Riverdale community. Inside the burned home, investigators discovered the bodies of 28-year-old Ju’uan Johnson and 27-year-old Nicolette Blue, who was in the early stages of pregnancy.
Although the home had caught fire, investigators quickly determined that both victims had been shot before the blaze, turning the incident into a homicide investigation. The destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew days earlier complicated the search for evidence and witnesses, slowing the investigation in its early stages.
Aftermath and Closure
The plea brings a measure of closure to the victims’ families, who have waited nine years for a conviction. Prosecutors emphasized that while the plea deal does not result in murder convictions, it ensures significant prison time and finally resolves a case that has haunted the community for years.
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