York County Prosecutors Pursue Another Life Sentence For Rock Hill Felon
Allegations Against Marques Quantez Heath
Marques Quantez Heath, 40, a felon from Rock Hill, is facing a murder trial in August. The prosecutors of York County are pushing for a second life sentence for Heath stemming from a violent crime spree in 2019 in which one woman was killed and five others were injured.
Heath is currently serving a life sentence without parole in a South Carolina prison for convictions related to dealing drugs and illegal weapon possession in Rock Hill. Those convictions, unrelated to the current accusations, came from a 2018 arrest.
The allegations against Heath include murder, attempted murder, burglary, assault, battery of a high and aggravated nature, as well as kidnapping, following the February 12, 2019 disturbance, according to court documents and 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Chris Epting.
On that fateful day, Heath allegedly shot three women, killing one, and inflicted harm with a hammer on three individuals at separate locations in the locality. The incident caused the lock-down of several schools, instigated a two-state manhunt, and instilled fear in communities from Rock Hill to Charlotte before Heath was apprehended in North Carolina.
The Past of Marques Quantez Heath
Heath was free on bail for an early 2019 domestic violence arrest and separate drug and weapons charges from 2018 when the February 2019 crime spree occurred.
Heath’s criminal history reveals a pattern, having eight previous felony convictions dating back to 2004. He’s had convictions for burglary, trafficking crack-cocaine, and drug distribution charges involving crack cocaine and marijuana. His most recent conviction in 2019 (prior to currently serving life sentence) was related to illegal possession of a stolen military assault rifle – a crime that saw him sentenced to life without possibility of parole.
Awaiting Trial
Heath’s forthcoming trial for the 2019 charges is slated to begin the week of August 12. His legal counsel, York County Public Defender B.J. Barrowclough, has made it clear that his team is working exhaustively in preparation.
The August trial, should it result in a conviction of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature or burglary, because of Heath’s previous convictions, would automatically lead to a second life sentence for the defendant, as stressed by Deputy Solicitor Chris Epting.
An additional case against Heath still pending in the courts is his accusation of using a shank to kill a fellow inmate at a Columbia prison in 2023, according to the arrest warrants released in March by the Department of Corrections, South Carolina. This case is separate from the charges pending review in the August trial.
On Wednesday, Marques Quantez Heath pleaded “not guilty” in court, expressing a desire to be judged “by God and my country”.
Victims of the 2019 Crime Spree
Shanijela Shamichael Williams is the 20-year-old woman who tragically lost her life in the 2019 spree. Heath allegedly shot her in a house located off S.C. 5 in an area west of Rock Hill. Also shot at that location was Bethany Farrar, who at the time was pregnant.
Subsequently, Heath is reported to have fled the house on Leach Road, moving to a location miles away near Cherry Road and Interstate 77 where he allegedly shot Laquata Wilson. Other victims assaulted by Heath during the spree were not present in the courtroom when the pre-trial proceedings were commenced Wednesday.
