Rick Chow found not guilty in shooting death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton

A Richland County jury acquitted former convenience store owner Rick Chow of murder in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton. The verdict came late Monday after nearly nine hours of deliberation in a case that drew widespread attention.

FULL STORY: Not guilty. Rick Chow absolved of accusation he wrongfully killed a 14-year-old.

Here are key takeaways:

• Chow, then 58, shot Carmack-Belton around 8 p.m. on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend 2023, after he, his wife and his son suspected the teen of stealing four bottles of water from their store. Chow was charged with murder 15 hours later.
• Jurors began deliberating around 12:15 p.m. Monday and twice returned with notes, including a request for clarification on the legal definition of malice. Circuit Court Judge Heath Taylor instructed them to continue into the evening.
• The defense argued Chow acted to protect his son, Andy, who they said was chased and had a 9 mm handgun pointed at him by Carmack-Belton during the 130-yard pursuit from the Shell gas station.
• Prosecutors countered that Carmack-Belton was a scared 14-year-old who ran out of his shoe and dropped two cell phones while fleeing. They cited forensic testimony showing the bullet entered his lower back and traveled upward into his heart.
• 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson told jurors that no witness “without the last name Chow” testified that Andy withdrew from the confrontation by raising his hands before the fatal shot was fired.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.