2 foster teens charged in stabbing/drowning murder of 13-year-old Modoc, South Carolina boy Daryl Martinez Lowry. Suspects identified id as Landen Austin Moore along with teen juvenile. All three boys were foster children residing at home of McCormick County Council Chairman Bernie Hamby.
Two South Carolina teenagers have been charged with murder for allegedly attacking a 13-year-old boy at a boat dock in Modoc leading to the teen’s death.
According to investigators, the incident occurred on July 20, 2026, when 17-year-old Landen Austin Moore and an unidentified 16-year-old allegedly became involved in a physical altercation with 13-year-old Daryl Martinez Lowry at a boat dock in Modoc, S.C.
The confrontation led to Daryl suffering multiple knife-inflicted lacerations according to authorities. Investigators further claim that after the assault, the two teens held the 13-year-old underwater until he drowned the Augusta Press reported.
Both suspects have been charged with murder. The identity of the 16-year-old has not been released because of their age.
The outlet further reported that the suspects are foster children living in the home of McCormick County Council Chairman Bernie Hamby.
The McCormick County Sheriff’s Office did not release a mugshot of the suspect, but a warrant describes Moore as a white male who was 6’2″ tall and 180 pounds. Meanwhile, the victim was listed as 5’2” tall and approximately 125 pounds.
Authorities said Lowry, who was from Chester County, had only recently been placed in Hamby’s home as a temporary foster child while awaiting another placement. Hamby was asleep inside the residence when the killing occurred earlier Monday morning, according to authorities.
Officials have not yet disclosed what led to the confrontation or whether the teens knew one another. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges could be filed as authorities continue to gather evidence.
Hamby, a longtime McCormick County councilman who serves as council chairman, is known in the community for fostering children. Authorities have not indicated that Hamby is suspected of any wrongdoing.
Hamby previously described introducing foster children to new experiences, helping them adjust to school and daily life, and said he viewed his role as caring for them until they could return to their families or move to permanent placements.
Just over a month before his death, Lowry was the subject of a missing child investigation in Chester County.
The death of Daryl Lowry has sparked an outpouring of grief online, with many sharing the hashtag #Justice4Daryl in remembrance of the 13-year-old.
