Tragedy in Clinton, SC: Mother’s Desperate Fight to Save Her Son, Kaden Moses, After a Shooting

A Clinton, South Carolina mother is left searching for answers after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) closed the investigation into her son Kaden Moses’ death, despite the Laurens County Coroner‘s declaration that it was a homicide. The tragic incident occurred late in the evening on December 30th, 2023 at the family’s home, and while authorities have ruled the case closed, the circumstances remain murky and deeply troubling to Kaden’s family. Renée Wunderlich, Director of Public Information for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), said in a statement concerning this case, “The case is closed. No further information is available on this matter.” 

Erika, Kaden’s mother, recounted the horrifying night in painful detail to Crime and Cask exclusively. “He gave me a hug and told me he loved me, and that was the last thing I heard from him,” she said, her voice breaking as she described their final conversation. It was around 8:30 p.m. when she went to bed, not knowing the horror that would soon unfold in less than three hours.

By 11 p.m., Erika was woken by her daughter, Kiely, who shook her awake, saying in a panic, “Kaden shot himself.” Disoriented, Erika ran to Kaden’s room and found her son sitting in his gaming chair, with his phone still displaying a game titled “Haunted” on Roblox. “There was blood trickling down behind his left temple, but he was breathing. I could still feel his heartbeat,” Erika shared. “I kept screaming for the kids to get out of the house while I called 911.”

Desperation filled the room as Erika tried to perform chest compressions on Kaden while she was still on the phone with dispatch. “I kept calling his name over and over, and his eyes… they were moving, but barely. I could see his life slipping away,” she said. Despite her efforts, Kaden’s condition worsened, and the panic only grew.

“I could see his Adam’s apple moving. I thought I had a chance,” Erika said tearfully. But as time went on, the chances grew slimmer. Her neighbor, Chris, arrived shortly after and witnessed the heartbreaking scene. “He just kept saying, ‘Oh my God,’ and I could tell he didn’t know what to do either.”

In the midst of the chaos, Erika noticed a gun lying on the floor near Kaden’s chair. “It was parallel to the chair, with the barrel facing his bed,” she recalled. “I didn’t know what to think. I picked it up, but I didn’t know why. I just wanted to move it out of the way so the paramedics could save him.”

The paramedics arrived, and although Erika continued to hold onto hope, the coroner confirmed the worst. “She told me, ‘Erika, he’s gone,’ but I couldn’t believe it. I could still feel his heartbeat,” she said, wiping away tears.

This news outlet recently reported that the Laurens County Coroner later ruled Kaden’s death as a homicide, SLED controversially decided to close the case, concluding there was not enough evidence to bring it to trial. This decision left Erika and her family devastated and without the closure they so desperately need. “I don’t understand how they can just close the case,” Erika said. “The coroner told me there was no way Kaden shot himself, not even by accident. This was either murder or something else, but it wasn’t what they were saying.”

The mother’s heartbreak deepened when investigators arrived to gather evidence, taking pictures of her blood-stained clothes and asking her to unlock the closet where the family guns were stored. “I couldn’t breathe. I was covered in my son’s blood from trying to save him, and now they were telling me they thought this was an accident,” she said in disbelief.

The incident has left a lasting impact on the Clinton, SC community, with many now questioning the thoroughness of the investigation. Erika recalls one of the detectives mentioning the possibility of foul play early in the investigation, only for SLED to later dismiss it. “I was told it couldn’t have been an accident, and now they’re telling me it’s over. How is this over?”

Despite the case being officially closed by SLED, Erika and her family are determined to keep fighting for answers. “We won’t stop,” she said firmly. “We know this wasn’t an accident, and we’ll keep pushing until someone listens. My son deserves justice.”

As this tragic case continues to unravel, the family is left grappling with their grief and the uncertainty surrounding Kaden’s death. Crime and Cask will continue to follow this story as new developments emerge and Erika’s pursuit of the truth continues.

For now, Kaden’s memory hangs in the balance between official reports and a family’s unanswered questions concerning the death of their beloved Kaden Moses.

There is another unsolved murder in rural Clinton, SC, in April of this year,  Zarius “Zay” Hurley, was was found dead at the scene of a standoff in Clinton, leaving his family devastated and searching for answers. To read more about Zay Hurley’s unsolved murder, along with Kaden’s death, read about it here.