More than five years after Taiwan Green and Ravin Smalls Jr., both 24, were found shot to death in a shed behind a Johns Island home, the criminal cases tied to their killings have closed — but not with murder convictions. Three men once charged with murder in the case were instead convicted of armed robbery, and prosecutors dropped the murder charges once those convictions were secured.
A Drug Pickup Turned Deadly
Officers were dispatched to 1104 Bethlehem Court on Johns Island on July 20, 2021, after reports of a shooting, and found Green and Smalls dead in a shed behind the property, according to the Post and Courier. The Charleston County coroner pronounced both men dead at the scene, per the arrest affidavit, and the newspaper separately reported that Smalls and Green, both 24, each died of a gunshot wound that day near Bethlehem Court. Detectives who responded found a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana along with a large number of plastic sandwich baggies inside the shed, the paper reported at the time.
Investigators said a video on Smalls' phone, timestamped 12:22 p.m. that day, showed a large quantity of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags inside the shed — evidence that helped shape detectives' theory of what happened. An unidentified man living a street away was reportedly the last person to speak with Smalls before his death, and a conversation between the two, per the affidavit, confirmed a drug pickup was underway. Detectives came to believe three men had conspired to rob Green and Smalls of their marijuana.
Three Men Arrested in the Months That Followed
Authorities arrested William Nathaniel Green Jr., then 22, in connection with the shooting, though accounts of the exact date differ. The Post and Courier reported he was arrested Aug. 27, 2021, and that police announced the arrest at a press conference less than a week later. WCBD News 2, however, reported that police first arrested William Nathaniel Green Jr. on Sept. 3 in connection with the shooting. William Green faced two murder counts and one armed robbery count; it remains unclear whether he and victim Taiwan Green were related.
Police arrested Keyshawn McFarlane, then 20, and Joshua Cromwell, then 21, on Oct. 21, 2021. Both men faced two murder counts and one armed robbery count each. WCBD's report at the time described murder and robbery charges against both men, with an additional weapon charge against McFarlane.
Cromwell's Account of the Robbery
According to Cromwell, he provided two rifles to William Green and McFarlane and knew about the plot to rob the victims, ultimately serving as the getaway driver. Green and McFarlane arrived at Cromwell's house in a white sedan on the afternoon of July 21, 2021, according to Cromwell, and the three men discussed the robbery there before driving to the home on Bethlehem Court.
Per the affidavit, Green and McFarlane exited the car armed with guns while Cromwell stayed behind in the vehicle. Cromwell told investigators he heard gunshots, and Green and McFarlane returned to the car carrying a black duffle bag full of marijuana. Cromwell then left the scene, according to the charging document. Witnesses reportedly heard the gunshots as well, and a neighbor's surveillance camera captured a white sedan parked near the shed; a witness saw the sedan race away shortly after the shots. The court document does not state whether Green, McFarlane or Cromwell appeared on that footage.
Trial, Conviction, and Dropped Murder Charges
William Green went before a jury in mid-June 2026. The jury acquitted him of murder but found him guilty of armed robbery, per court documents. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison — the maximum term for the charge — with court documentation describing him as the most culpable defendant among the three.
McFarlane and Cromwell pleaded guilty to armed robbery. McFarlane was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Cromwell received the same 10-year term, the minimum for the charge. Once all three men were convicted of armed robbery, the murder charges against them were dropped. An image caption accompanying the original report states the final co-defendants were sentenced for armed robbery on Nov. 5, closing out the criminal cases tied to Green and Smalls' fatal shooting on that date.
The case was reported by the Post and Courier's Caitlin Bell, who covers quick response and public safety for the paper.
