Slain Atlantic Beach councilman position to be replaced in a special election this week.

Four men are looking to fill the empty seat of slain Atlantic Beach Town Council member Jim DeWitt in a Jan. 17 special election.

Special election to be held January in Atlantic Beach to fill councilman’s seat who was killed

The race between John David, Lenny Evans, Michael Isom and Brian Taylor comes three months after DeWitt, 52, was fatally shot along with his wife and another person. The DeWitts were found dead inside their Columbia home Oct. 9, the same day Conway authorities discovered Natasha Stevens in her city home.

The DeWitts’ son, Matthew, faces murder charges for the deaths along with one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

None of the town council immediately available for comment on Jan. 13. The winner will serve through Dec. 31, 2025 when DeWitt’s term was set to expire.

Jim DeWitt was remembered for his love of service

A Conway native, DeWitt earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Carolina and was owner of Legends Security and Sound in Columbia.

According to an Oct. 26 article in CEPro, a trade publication covering low voltage electronic, DeWitt helped streamline the installation process of large-scale audio and security systems.

He was a member of First Nazareth Baptist Church.

Atlantic Beach has a unique place in Horry County’s history

Squeezed in between parts of North Myrtle Beach, the enclave had a population of just under 200 people according to 2020 U.S. Census figures — a 50% drop-off from a decade earlier.

Dubbed “The Black Pearl,” the 90-acre strip consisted of Atlantic and Pearl beaches until a June 1966 merger.

The communities rose to prominence as hubs of Black economic and cultural success. Last year, Atlantic Beach received grants from the National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation to help better tell the town’s story.