Pathologist Testifies Scott Spivey Was Not Shot Directly in Back as 911 Call Shapes Narrative in Weldon Boyd Immunity Hearing
By James Seidel | CC News Network
CONWAY, S.C. — Crime and Cask Investigations sat for day two of testimony in the Scott Spivey–Weldon Boyd immunity hearing centered on forensic evidence and a pivotal 911 recording that continues to shape competing narratives in the fatal September 9, 2023 shooting along Camp Swamp Road.
The evidentiary hearing, taking place at the Horry County Courthouse, will determine whether Boyd and his passenger are entitled to immunity under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law in connection with Spivey’s death.
The Spivey–Boyd case stems from a fatal roadside shooting on September 9, 2023, in the Longs area of Horry County, South Carolina. The confrontation involved Scott Spivey, who was driving a black truck, and North Myrtle Beach businessman Weldon Boyd, who was in a white truck with a passenger.
What began as what authorities described as a road rage incident escalated into gunfire along Camp Swamp Road. Boyd and his passenger shot and killed Spivey and have argued the shooting was justified under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law, maintaining that Spivey exited his vehicle and raised a handgun first.
Spivey’s family disputes that account and has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The current court proceedings are focused on whether Boyd is entitled to immunity from prosecution and civil liability under state self-defense statutes.
Forensic Testimony: Arm Raised, Not Shot in the Back
A forensic pathologist testified Tuesday that Scott Spivey was not shot directly in the back, contradicting an early characterization that suggested he had been fleeing when he was struck.
Instead, the doctor told the court the wound trajectory was consistent with Spivey’s right arm being raised at the time he was shot. Defense counsel demonstrated the position in court by lifting his own arm into what appeared to resemble a shooting stance.
Angelina Phillips, MD, a MUSC pathologist shows autopsy photos to Eugene Griffith Jr. on Wednesday.
A Stand Your Ground hearing is being held this week for Weldon Boyd, owner of Buoys on the Boulevard, and Kenneth “Bradley” Williams in the shooting death of Scott Spivey. Boyd and Williams have been named in a wrongful death lawsuit by the Spivey family in his shooting death nearly three years ago. The hearing will determine if the pair are granted immunity under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law. Feb. 18, 2026.
According to the testimony, the projectile would have entered while Spivey’s arm was elevated, traveling across his back and exiting through his left side. The pathologist agreed that such a trajectory would be consistent with Spivey facing Boyd at an angle — slightly turned sideways toward the front of Boyd’s truck — rather than squarely facing away.
During cross-examination, plaintiff’s attorney Mark Tinsley asked the doctor to step down from the witness stand to demonstrate the possible body positioning. The exchange underscored a central dispute in the case: whether Spivey was advancing toward Boyd with a firearm drawn or attempting to retreat.
Angelina Phillips, MD, a MUSC pathologist, demonstrates where Scott Spivey was hit by a bullet on attorney O’Bryan Martin while his father, attorney Morgan Martin, questions the witness.
A Stand Your Ground hearing is being held this week for Weldon Boyd, owner of Buoys on the Boulevard, and Kenneth “Bradley” Williams in the shooting death of Scott Spivey. Boyd and Williams have been named in a wrongful death lawsuit by the Spivey family in his shooting death nearly three years ago. The hearing will determine if the the pair are granted immunity under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law. Feb. 18, 2026.Toxicology Findings Introduced
The pathologist also referenced toxicology results entered as Exhibit 46. According to the report, Spivey’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of death was .130, above the legal driving limit in South Carolina.
The toxicology analysis also reflected a testosterone level of 4.1. The doctor testified that the level was consistent with testosterone use, though she stated she could not say with certainty whether it was from prescribed therapy or another source.
The toxicology findings were introduced as part of the broader factual context of Spivey’s condition at the time of the shooting.
911 Recording and Deposition Played in Court
Earlier in the day, the hearing opened with a 911 call placed by eyewitness Frank McMurrow, who described what he said was unfolding in real time.
In the recording, McMurrow can be heard telling dispatch: “Someone just unloaded shots through the windshield.”
He described escalating tensions between the two vehicles, stating that the “guy in the black truck (Spivey) jumped out of his truck and shot.” He also reported that the “guy in the black truck trying to drive him (Boyd) off the road.”
As the situation intensified, McMurrow told the operator: “Black truck guy gets out with a pistol.” He added, “I saw him bringing up his gun.”
The deposition of Frank McMurrough, a witness the shooting death case of Scott Spivey, is shown in court on the second day of the Stand Your Ground hearing for Weldon Boyd and Kenneth “Bradley” Williams on Wednesday. The hearing to be held over multiple days this week, will determine whether they will once again be granted immunity under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law for shooting and killing a North Carolina man nearly three years ago. Feb. 18, 2026.
At another point in the call, McMurrow said, “The white truck didn’t get out.” He also described the vehicles stopping abruptly, saying, “The white truck had to stop because the black truck stopped.”
According to McMurrow’s testimony in court, Spivey allegedly slammed on his brakes in front of Boyd’s vehicle before exiting his truck. McMurrow testified that Spivey said, “Stop following me, boy,” before raising his hand with the firearm.
“Spivey’s hand moved up and all hell broke loose,” McMurrow said.
He maintained that the “guy in the white truck didn’t do anything” prior to the gunfire and testified that when Spivey lifted his gun, Boyd “shot, unloaded his gun.”
Law Enforcement Response and Physical Evidence
Horry County police officers testified they were initially dispatched on what was described as a road rage call involving reports that someone was driving others off the road and brandishing a weapon.
Boyd has maintained that Spivey fired first. During testimony, it was revealed that a shell casing was located near Spivey’s truck tire — a piece of evidence that may factor heavily into the court’s determination of who initiated gunfire.
The location of that casing, along with the trajectory analysis presented by the forensic pathologist, appears central to the immunity question before the court.
Kerry Higgs, an Horry County Police Officer, testifies as Judge Eugene Griffith Jr. listens on Wednesday. A Stand Your Ground hearing is being held this week for Weldon Boyd, owner of Buoys on the Boulevard, and Kenneth “Bradley” Williams in the shooting death of Scott Spivey. Boyd and Williams have been named in a wrongful death lawsuit by the Spivey family in his shooting death nearly three years ago. The hearing will determine if the pair are granted immunity under South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law. Feb. 18, 2026.Podcasters Got it Wrong?
The testimony presented in court this week stands in sharp contrast to the narrative that podcasters Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell have advanced in their coverage of the case. For nearly two years, their reporting has framed the shooting largely through claims that Boyd was the aggressor, chased down Spivey and shot him in the back, and this civil strategy is being led by attorney Mark Tinsley, who represents the estate. The same Tinsley that Luna Shark’s Liz Farrell admitted under oath in a deposition that she has worked with Tinsley on various cases, unbeknownst to the public. Even getting confidential evidence from Tinsley that should not have been disseminated, let alone to someone in the media.
Courtroom Reality vs. Public Narrative: What Today’s Testimony Revealed in the Scott Spivey and Weldon Boyd Case
But the forensic testimony regarding bullet trajectory, the toxicology findings, and the eyewitness 911 account introduced at the immunity hearing present a materially different version of events — one that suggests Spivey may have been facing Boyd with his arm raised at the time he was shot.
While Matney and Farrell have publicly supported the opposite position, the evidence now unfolding in court has introduced facts that complicate and, in some respects, directly challenge the narrative that has circulated in podcast and social media coverage. Many people online are asking if Matney and Farrell are once again disseminating information that attorney Tinsley hands them.
Legal Stakes
The hearing is focused on whether Boyd and his passenger qualify for immunity under South Carolina law, which shields individuals from prosecution and civil liability if deadly force is deemed legally justified in self-defense.
The case has drawn significant public attention due to conflicting narratives surrounding whether Boyd pursued Spivey for miles prior to the shooting, or whether the encounter escalated only after Spivey allegedly exited his vehicle with a firearm.
Judge’s ruling on immunity has not yet been issued. Testimony is expected to continue throughout the week.
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Swamp Justice song by James Seidel at Crime and Cask Investigations
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