Police say they wanted marijuana, but Rock Hill deal ended in ‘cold-blooded’ murder

Three men have been charged after police say they tried to steal marijuana from a Rock Hill man who was shot in the head, then crashed his car into a truck and an apartment building, according to court records.

Police arrested the three Rock Hill men in connection with the Oct. 26 homicide of Justin Penland, 26, of Rock Hill, said Capt. Mark Bollinger of the Rock Hill Police Department.

Penland, the father of two young children, was shot at the Mallard Pointe Apartments, and later died in a Charlotte hospital, police said.

The three suspects, Isaiah Hemphill, 20, and Donovan Allen and Shaun Welte, both 17, were arrested Thursday morning, Bollinger said.

Hemphill, the accused gunman, has been charged with murder, possession of a firearm during a violent crime, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and attempted armed robbery.

Allen and Welte have each been charged with attempted armed robbery, accessory after the fact to murder and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Municipal Court Judge Dolores Williams didn’t set a bond for Hemphill. She denied bonds for Allen and Welte, who are both accused of intentionally misleading police.

Williams said she didn’t have the legal authority to set bond for Hemphill, who is accused of firing the shot that killed Penland.

“But I will tell you, if I had the authority to set your bond, I’d deny it anyway,” she said.

Detective Kris Quate said in the bond hearing that Hemphill’s actions were consistent with his “violent tendencies and gang affiliation.” Quate said Hemphill is affiliated with the Bloods.

Quate said Hemphill’s actions were “cold-blooded” and that Allen and Welte were both no stranger to criminal activity.

Welte was arrested and charged with theft in the same complex as the homicide, not long after the murder, Quate said. And Allen was out on bond for a firearms violation at the time, he said.

Reading the warrants, Williams said both Welte and Allen were inside a car, barricaded across the road, to block Penland before he was shot. Williams said Allen was accused of later painting the vehicle involved in the crime to avoid being identified and captured.

Penland’s father, step-mother, fiance and sister-in-law attended the bond hearing.

Rock Hill police victim advocate Katie Zanowski showed each of the defendants a photograph of Penland’s family, on the request of his fiance.

Capt. Brent Allmon of the Rock Hill police said the case is still under investigation, but there are no other suspects at this time.

“Investigators have worked hard on this case, and put in many hours, and we will continue to work to wrap up this case and other open homicides,” Allmon said in a text to The Herald.

Rawle Conway and Lashawn Hunter, who live in the Mallard Pointe apartment that the truck driver crashed into, told The Herald after the incident that they were in their home the night of Oct. 26.

Conway said he heard the crash, and thought someone was driving drunk or had fallen asleep at the wheel.

“I get closer and I see bullet holes in the car,” Conway said. “It was crazy. Very unexpected.”

Hunter said she was in her bedroom, closest to where the vehicle struck the building.

“I didn’t sleep last night,” Hunter said after the incident. “I didn’t want to sleep in my bedroom.”

Conway said the driver was still alive when they found him. They tried to keep him responsive, but heard from police that he had later died.

Conway said they moved to Rock Hill from New York, hoping to “get away from all that.”

“It was just terrible,” Conway said. “It was a sad situation. I just wish it had never happened.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Police say they wanted marijuana, but Rock Hill deal ended in ‘cold-blooded’ murder."