Authorities say another teenager was taken into juvenile custody after the boy’s body was recovered near a dock in McCormick County.
MODOC, S.C. — A 17-year-old has been charged with murder after authorities found 13-year-old Daryl Martinez Lowry dead near a boat dock on Clarks Hill Lake, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Landen Austin Moore was arrested in connection with Lowry’s death and booked into the McCormick County Detention Center. Authorities also took a 16-year-old into custody and transferred the juvenile to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. The younger teenager’s identity has not been released because of the person’s age, and authorities have not publicly detailed the juvenile’s legal status.
Deputies responded to the Modoc Shores community on the morning of July 20 after receiving a report involving the lake. Lowry was found dead near a dock, according to local reports and information released by investigators. Moore and the other teenager were arrested later that day.
An arrest affidavit says Lowry, Moore and the 16-year-old were involved in a physical altercation at the boat dock. Investigators allege that Lowry suffered cuts during an attack involving a knife before the other two teenagers held his head underwater. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is leading the investigation. The agency said the case remains active and that more information could be released as investigators continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding Lowry’s death.
Moore’s murder charge is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Publicly available reports did not indicate whether he had entered a plea or retained an attorney as of Monday. Court records detailing his next appearance were not immediately available.
Reports said the three boys were in foster care and had been staying at a home connected to McCormick County Council Chairman Bernie Hamby. Lowry had reportedly been placed there temporarily while awaiting another foster placement. Authorities have not accused Hamby of wrongdoing in connection with the death.
Lowry’s relatives described him in a family fundraiser as a loving and energetic child who cared deeply about his parents, relatives and friends. The fundraiser was organized to help the family with expenses following his death.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is expected to handle the prosecution, according to reports citing the state investigation. Officials have not publicly announced a motive or released a complete account of what led to the altercation. The investigation remains open.
Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.