Gone South – “Stand Your Ground on Camp Swamp Road: The Scott Spivey Shooting”
Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Jed Lipinski
Featured Guest: Valerie Bauerlein, Wall Street Journal Correspondent
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode of Gone South uncovers the fatal shooting of Scott Spivey on Camp Swamp Road, examining the intersection of “stand your ground” laws, small-town law enforcement, and the persistence of old Southern power structures. Host Jed Lipinski and journalist Valerie Bauerlein reconstruct the events surrounding Spivey’s death, the police investigation, and a family’s battle for answers, ultimately interrogating how history, law, and privilege shape outcomes in the modern South.
Episode Breakdown
1. The Shooting on Camp Swamp Road
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[01:16–04:35]
- Scott Spivey, a 33-year-old insurance adjuster, spends the afternoon drinking at Boardwalk Billy’s in North Myrtle Beach.
- On his drive home, Spivey gets into a road rage incident with Weldon Boyd, a local restaurant owner.
- According to Boyd, Spivey waved a gun and threatened him. Boyd chased Spivey for nine miles, calling 911 and warning, “If he points that gun at me again, I will shoot him.” (03:20)
- In rural Horry County, Spivey pulls over, gun in hand, and is shot roughly 30 times by Boyd and his passenger, Bradley Williams. Spivey dies at the scene.
- Police arrive quickly; the shooters claim self-defense under South Carolina’s stand your ground law and are allowed to go home the same night.
“He’s stopping. Hey, we’re about to have a fucking shootout, dude. This dude’s got a gun. He’s got a fucking gun.”
—Weldon Boyd (911 call, recounted by Jed Lipinski, 04:08)
2. Immediate Investigation and “Stand Your Ground”
- [05:10–09:36]
- Officers on scene express immediate support for the shooters’ self-defense claims, declaring the case “cut and dry” (05:25).
- Under “stand your ground,” once self-defense is established, shooters receive criminal and civil immunity, almost closing the door on further investigation or lawsuits.
- Mark Tinsley, a prominent attorney, is baffled: “I couldn’t understand how you could chase a man 9 miles and call it stand your ground.” (07:46)
3. History and Context of “Stand Your Ground” Laws
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[09:45–10:51]
- Explains expansion from castle doctrine (duty to retreat in your home) to “stand your ground” (no duty to retreat anywhere you’re allowed to be, including your vehicle).
- Florida passes such a law in 2005, South Carolina and others follow suit.
- Now, 28 states have similar statutes. These laws shift the burden onto the deceased, often short-circuiting traditional investigation and accountability.
“We’re at a point now where there are 28 states…that have some type of stand your ground law. And it’s very broad.”
—Jed Lipinski (10:49)
4. The Family’s Ordeal and the Police Response
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[10:51–13:25]
- Jennifer Foley, Scott’s sister, receives no information or victim’s rights after the shooting.
- Police tell her that Spivey “road raged,” fired first, and that shooters acted in self-defense—presented as established fact, without investigation.
- Jennifer, with background in criminal justice, is immediately suspicious and starts her own chronology while collecting communications from Boyd and his circle, noting irregularities in the official account.
“From her perspective, the police had reached their conclusion way too quickly, especially in a case involving multiple vehicles, 911 calls and a 9 mile chase.”
—Jed Lipinski (12:40)
5. Jennifer Foley’s Citizen Investigation
-
[16:22–18:37]
- Jennifer presses police for evidence, finding numerous mishandlings:
- Phones weren’t seized as evidence
- Boyd was sharing photos from the scene, including of Scott’s body
- Coroner’s forms incomplete; Spivey’s body left in truck unrefrigerated for hours, making tox screening impossible
- Autopsy (delayed 4 days) shows Scott was shot in the back
“The coroner made significant decisions that are outside official policy…you can’t know how drunk he was…there are just things you can’t know.”
—Jed Lipinski (17:09, paraphrased)- Jennifer suspects the investigation is tainted by Boyd’s close ties to the Horry County police (free meals, honorary badges, hunting trips).
- Jennifer presses police for evidence, finding numerous mishandlings:
6. Civil Lawsuit and Evidence Dump
- [19:55–22:15]
- Mark Tinsley files a wrongful death suit, unusual because those found “standing their ground” have civil immunity.
- Police turn over a massive trove—30,000 files—in civil discovery, so overwhelming that nothing is reviewed for months.
- Jennifer personally begins combing through digital evidence as key depositions near.
7. Shocking Discoveries in the Evidence
- [23:33–26:57]
- Jennifer discovers Boyd used an app that recorded his phone calls, including those to senior police just after the shooting.
- Boyd calls Deputy Chief Strickland, a close friend, immediately after the shooting. The deputy chief reassures, “We’re going to take care of this. Don’t worry.” (24:54)
- The recordings show officials shaping a “self-defense” story before any basic investigation had occurred.
- Boyd and Williams are heard joking about the killing later: “I know it’s fucked up to say, but I had a blast… It is what it is. I had a good time.” (25:58–26:07)
- Evidence reveals the Deputy Chief had Scott’s body towed in the truck intentionally (“I did that for you, to help you. If the family ever came after you…” 25:28).
- Jennifer provides these recordings to Tinsley, who presents them in depositions and to the press.
8. Deep Dive into Police Malfeasance
-
[26:57–32:49]
- Body and dash cam footage shows initial officers taking Boyd’s word, failing to interview witnesses, and misrepresenting or mislabeling evidence files (“domestic violence” instead of “shooting” etc.).
- Paramedics note entry wound in Scott’s back; an officer dismisses concerns with implausible explanations.
- On body cam, a sergeant secretly slips Boyd a note: “Act like a victim. Camera.” (30:05–30:17)
- Body cameras go dark for two hours in violation of policy.
- Scott’s body is towed away before the coroner arrives—contrary to protocol.
- The cover-up extends to mislabeling and burying evidence files, resulting in terminations but no new charges.
“If I call my body camera ‘domestic violence’ instead of ‘shooting’, it doesn’t pop up the same way… One guy called it robbery. Robbery, you know.”
—Jed Lipinski (32:31)
9. Fallout and National Implications
-
[33:18–35:47]
- Despite exposure, state authorities refuse to bring murder charges, citing stand your ground law: “If Weldon Boyd and Bradley Williams stay in their truck where they have a right to be, and Scott Spivey gets out… that’s the salient fact.”
- Public outcry follows damning Wall Street Journal pieces by Valerie Bauerlein.
- Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls out the State Attorney General:
“We’ve seen video, we’ve seen body cam where it was written handwritten on a note that said act like a victim.” (34:08)
- Eventually, the Attorney General appoints a special prosecutor, and—just before episode airs—a judge rejects Weldon Boyd’s stand your ground claim in the civil suit, enabling a wrongful death suit to proceed and raising the odds of manslaughter or murder charges.
- Discusses a broader national trend of rising homicide rates associated with stand your ground laws, especially in Southern states.
“Since publishing her stories last year, Valerie has heard from people all over the country. They tell her that something strikingly similar happened to their son, their brother, their father, and they ask… Would she be willing to tell their story too?”
—Jed Lipinski (35:47)
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On the logic of stand your ground immunity:
“One, if you’re found to be standing your ground in the criminal context, you’re given civil immunity, meaning…there’s no ability of a family to even sue you.”
—Jed Lipinski (08:50) -
Jennifer Foley’s persistence:
“She starts building her own chronology, her own contemporaneous notes, organizing all of these tidbits that she gets… it becomes clear that the police have zero interest in investigating what really happened that night.”
—Jed Lipinski (13:25) -
Racial aspect, as heard on call:
“And the deputy chief says, I’m glad it was a white male. If he’d been black, that would have been a whole different story. And you’re like, is this happening?”
—Jed Lipinski (27:37) -
Police coaching the shooter:
“Act like a victim. Camera.”
—Sergeant to Weldon Boyd (caught on body cam, 30:17)
Key Timestamps
- 01:16–04:35 — Reconstruction of the shooting and immediate aftermath
- 05:10–05:25 — Police declare shooting self-defense
- 09:45–10:51 — History of stand your ground laws explained
- 16:22–18:09 — Jennifer Foley’s independent investigation
- 23:33–26:57 — Discovery of call recordings and evidence of police collusion
- 29:26–30:17 — Paramedics, body camera moments, police coaching
- 31:05–32:49 — Violations of policy; evidence mislabeling and cover-up
- 33:18–34:14 — National outcry and Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s intervention
- 34:14–35:47 — Rejection of stand your ground in civil court, implications for accountability
Conclusion
The Scott Spivey shooting isn’t just a local tragedy—it exposes how “stand your ground” laws, deep-seated local connections, and a lack of independent oversight can allow violence to go unpunished, even in the face of damning evidence. The case's reopening, and the overturning of stand your ground in the civil context, signify a potentially pivotal moment for accountability in similar shootings across the South.
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