N.C. man convicted in deadly 2018 Myrtle Beach area shooting

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A Fayetteville man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after a jury convicted him of a deadly 2018 shooting.

Marquis Shawn Brown, 32, was convicted of murder, according to the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The life sentence was the maximum allowable sentence.

The Horry County Police Department found Mark Verhasselt, also of Fayetteville, fatally shot in a parking lot on Bovardia Place on July 10, 2018.

Brown and another man, Matthew Isiah Rivera, were charged in connection to Verhasselt’s death. Rivera pleaded guilty in connection to the incident in January 2022 and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

“The Horry County Police Department, specifically former Detective Matthew Singleton, did an excellent job with this investigation,” Mary-Ellen Walter, the senior assistant solicitor who prosecuted the case for the solicitor’s office, said. “They identified Brown within hours of the murder and had him in custody within days.”

The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said the case was a team effort, with solicitor’s office investigators Steve Brown and Ginger Pop securing the appearance and cooperation of key witnesses.

“This case was truly a team effort,” Walter said. “This type of multi-agency cooperation is key to bringing criminals to justice. I appreciate everyone’s hard work and dedication.”

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