Jun 2, 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Court TV) — The owner of a Shell convenience store and gas station has been cleared of charges that he murdered an unarmed teenager at his business.

Rick Chow (Richland Sheriff’s Department via Law & Crime)

Rick Chow, 61, was charged with the murder of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton and pleaded not guilty. After hearing three days of evidence, a South Carolina jury deliberated for approximately eight hours before unanimously finding him not guilty. Shouts and crying could be heard from the gallery as the verdict was read; Chow sat expressionless next to his attorneys.

In court documents reviewed by Law & Crime, investigators said that Chow chased the victim and shot him in the back in May 2023, despite lacking any evidence that the teen was shoplifting. Deputies said there was no evidence of a physical confrontation or that the teenager had pointed a gun at the defendant. At a news conference announcing the charges, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said that Chow chased the victim off the store’s property and toward an apartment complex before opening fire, hitting Carmack-Belton in the back.

Detectives at the scene conceded that Carmack-Belton had a weapon, but said that Chow lacked any basis to open fire on the teen. Chow’s defense failed to convince Judge Scott Sprouse to dismiss the murder charge following a two-day “Stand Your Ground” hearing, The State reported.

Cyrus Carmack-Belton (Rutherford Law via ABC News)

At a final pretrial hearing, Judge Heath Taylor agreed to grant the defense’s request to suppress evidence that Chow had previous interactions with law enforcement. Prosecutors revealed at the hearing that the sheriff’s department had taken the “extraordinary” step to invite him in to discuss the limits of his legal use of force. Chow was never charged in any previous incident, and Taylor said the jury won’t hear about the conversation unless the defense opens the door by making the claim that the defendant never had prior contact with deputies.

One of Chow’s attorneys, Jack Swerling, had fought to have the trial moved out of Richland County, but that request was denied, WIS reported. The request was made due to pretrial publicity; Swerling told the judge that he rarely requests a change of venue but felt it was necessary to find an impartial jury. Taylor assured the defense that jurors would be properly screened.

Carmack-Belton was remembered by Summit Parkway Middle School as “intelligent, humorous with a quick wit and well-liked by his classmates.” The school said his goals were to own a tattoo shop and be famous one day.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 4 – 6/1/26



LIVESTREAM: SC v. Rick Chow – Day 4 | The Convenience Store Killing Trial

Dale Scott delivered closing arguments for the prosecution.



Asked the jury if the victim deserved to die.

It took 17 minutes to determine whether the victim had stolen anything or not; Rick Chow could have gone back to the surveillance video.

If the victim were still alive, he would have been a rising senior.

He was trying to escape until the very end; he died scared, bleeding to death and Rick Chow’s face was the last one he saw.

WATCH: State Slams Gas Station Owner Accused of Shooting Teen in Closing Arguments





Patrick Wright delivered closing arguments for the defense.



The story has nothing to do with bottles of water and Rick Chow did not kill the victim over water bottles.

This case is about a father who saw a gun pointed at his son and had to make a decision.

WATCH: Gas Station Owner Saw A Gun Pointed At His Son, Made A Decision: Defense





The jury began its deliberations and reached a verdict.



DAY 3 – 5/29/26



LIVESTREAM: SC v. Rick Chow – Day 3 | The Convenience Store Killing Trial

The state rested its case-in-chief.

Andy Chow, defendant’s son



Said he heard his mother tell the victim to remove his backpack. He saw the victim go to the water cooler and pocket water.

Cyrus grabbed his backpack and he saw him drop something heavy in his pocket.

Cyrus tried to walk away but then the chase happened.

When he saw Cyrus with a gun, he started to back away. He claimed that Cyrus pointed the gun at him.

Tried to render aid and called 911.

Was terrified and thought the victim was going to shoot him.





Richard Carter, Deputy



Was at the scene, preserved and collected evidence.

Played an interview with Rick Chow at the scene where the defendant described what happened to him.





Shelby Bradwell, deputy sheriff



A civilian that day, she provided CPR to Cyrus.

The victim had vomit in his mouth and airway.

Rick was sucking the vomit out of his mouth and spitting to the side of him.





The defense rested its case.



DAY 2 – 5/28/26



LIVESTREAM: SC v. Rick Chow – Day 2 | The Convenience Store Killing Trial

Jasmine Broadwater, eyewitness



Was in a Cadillac SUV with her aunt, leaving their apartment complex when they witnessed the incident.

Broadwater said she saw a young man running and heard a gunshot and then saw the gas station owner holding a gun and the young man falling to the ground.

Broadwater and her aunt called 911 and drove to a nearby parking lot to report the incident.

Initially hesitated to report what she saw but eventually provided additional statements to police.





Devonte Bryant, eyewitness



He was meeting his girlfriend at her brother’s house and saw the victim running and the defendant and his son chasing him.

Initially thought the police were chasing the victim.





Gregory Walker, Battalion Fire Chief



Called to the scene of the incident.

None of the witnesses said the victim pointed a gun and nobody saw the victim holding a gun.





Brian Metz, investigator



Called to the Shell gas station two days after the shooting to collect additional surveillance systems and computers from the store.





Michael Dooley Jr., Crime scene investigator



Responded to the autopsy of the victim and photographed, documented and collected evidence.

Identified multiple exhibits, including a recovered bullet, the victim’s clothing and photographs of injuries.

He did not respond to the scene itself, only the autopsy.





Amanda Metz, forensic examiner



Examined two guns connected to the case: a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock .45 caliber pistol, along with magazines, unfired cartridfes, a fired projectile and fired shell casings.





Taima Jordan, private investigator



Went over bodycam video showing Chow watching surveillance video in the store.

Surveillance video shows the victim taking the water and putting it back.





Amy Durso, Forensic pathologist



Performed the victim’s autopsy.

Victim was 5’8 and weighed 114 pounds.

Suffered a gunshot wound to the back.

There was a partially healed injury on his right hands and abrasions to his right lower leg.







DAY 1 – 5/27/26



LIVESTREAM: SC v. Rick Chow – Day 1 | The Convenience Store Killing Trial

Byron Gipson delivered opening statements for the prosecution.



Rick Chow believed that 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton’s life was worth less than four bottles of water.

Chow’s wife was watching the victim when Carmack-Belton put four bottles of water in his backpack, but he put them back.

The Chow family accused the teen of stealing the water and verbally confronted him.

The father and son chased the teen; Chow fatally shot him in the back.





Jack Swerling delivered opening statements for the defense.



Questioned why a 14-year-old was illegally possessing a pistol.

The gun was loaded; the victim illegally entered the store.

Chow had a concealed weapons permit and believed his family was at risk.

Claimed the victim was pointing the gun at Chow’s son.





Deputy Derek Inglis



Was initially responding to an unrelated call for a break-in at an apartment when he was dispatched to a shooting at a Shell gas station.

Upon arrival, he found the victim on the ground receiving chest compressions from a bystander, with multiple witnesses nearby.

Confirmed he was the first officer on the scene and began assisting with emergency response efforts until paramedics arrived.

The jury watched bodycam from the scene.

Key physical evidence was found, including a backpack, a 9mm pistol, a tactical light/laser attachment and a shell casing.

Surveillance footage from inside the convenience store showed the defendant and the victim; the video showed the victim did not actually steal any items from the store.



The defense argued that the gun was loaded with a round in the chamber, ready to fire when it was secured.









Justin Martin, Bodycam video analyst



Reviewed bodycamera videos in the case and created a PowerPoint presentation.





Lori Ann Carson, eyewitness



Was at the store buying candy for her grandchildren when she saw the victim come out of the store and the defendant and the defendant’s son running after him.

Did not see anything in the victim’s hand. She described Carmack-Belton as looking “frightened and scared.”





Kennedy Carson, eyewitness



Was with her family pulling into the Shell gas station when she saw the victim running out of the store, followed by the defendant and the defendant’s son.

The victim’s shoe flew off as he ran and he was holding his pants up with one hand while pumping his other arm as he sprinted away. She repeatedly said she never saw a gun or anything else in the victim’s hands.