Suspect denied bond after mother finds teenage daughter strangled, stabbed in the neck
Suspect denied bond
UNION, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - A teenage girl was found dead by her mother Wednesday morning, and the man arrested in connection with her death was denied bond.
Union Public Safety Department officials said Dedrick Hay, of the Columbia area, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He is currently being held in the Union County Jail in South Carolina, where he was denied bond on Thursday.
Officers said they were called to an apartment along Chambers Avenue around 7:45 a.m. for an unresponsive 17-year-old girl found by her mother lying face down with blood on her body.
According to an arrest warrant, the teen, identified as Destiny Kennedy, was strangled and stabbed in the neck by Hay.
Officers said that Hay and Kennedy knew each other prior to the stabbing.
Union County High School said Kennedy was a senior who was supposed to be excited for graduation with her classmates.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Child Fatality Unit and Crime Scene Unit are assisting in the investigation.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
