HORRY COUNTY, S.C. – Two individuals from Florence have been found guilty in connection to the 2022 death of a Pee Dee football player. The verdict was handed down by an Horry County jury, leading to sentences of 40 years behind bars for 20-year-old Fanotti Neal and 16-year-old Micah Pressley. The two were convicted of the murder of 17-year-old Joshua McPherson and will be required to serve the entire prison sentence.

Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson expressed gratitude towards the officers involved in the case, including the Conway Police Department and Florence Sheriff’s Department. Assistant Solicitor Adam Harrelson mentioned that the verdict and sentence may bring some closure to McPherson’s family.

The tragic incident occurred on May 29, 2022, at the Coastal Club Student Living apartments near Highway 544, where Conway police responded to reports of shots being fired. Neal unlawfully entered an apartment with the intention of committing a violent crime, ultimately leading to the fatal shooting of McPherson with malice aforethought.

McPherson was remembered as a loving family man and talented football player at Wilson High School in Florence County. Pressley, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was initially charged as a juvenile but later prosecuted as an adult. Meanwhile, charges are pending for two more individuals involved in the case.

This tragic loss of young life, along with the legal actions taken in response to the incident, has brought a sense of closure to the family of Joshua McPherson. The guilty verdict and sentencing of the individuals responsible for his untimely death mark a step forward in the pursuit of justice for the devastated family and community.