South Carolina Mother and Son Sentenced for Brutal Murder of Disabled Man in Drug-Related "Mob" Attack

South Carolina Mother and Son Sentenced for Brutal Murder of Disabled Man in Drug-Related "Mob" Attack A South Carolina mother and her teenage son have been sentenced to decades in prison for their roles in the brutal killing of a man who was first left in a wheelchair after a vicious beating, then murdered in what prosecutors described as a “mob-style” attack. On Monday, Samantha Watts, 42, was sentenced to 45 years in prison, and her son, Payton Watts, now 18, was sentenced to 35 years. Both pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the death of 29-year-old Corey Adam Soles in January 2023. The sentences were handed down as part of a plea deal, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced. Prosecutors recommended that Payton, who was just 16 at the time of the murder, receive a sentence between 30 and 40 years, contingent on his mother accepting a plea without any sentencing recommendation from the state. According to court documents, Soles was attacked between January 8 and 9, 2023, in Horry County, South Carolina. He was first assaulted with a blunt object—believed to be wielded by Payton Watts—resulting in a broken leg. After that initial beating, Soles was confined to a wheelchair. Prosecutors say he was then beaten again, suffering fatal blunt force trauma to the head while he was defenseless. Soles was reported missing on January 10, 2023. His body was discovered six days later in a rural area near Galivants Ferry, according to local reports from WPDE. The case revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse and criminal activity involving multiple members of the Watts family. Prosecutors said Samantha Watts operated a drug distribution operation and controlled her family “like a criminal enterprise,” using her children as enforcers. Payton Watts, her youngest son, was described as her primary enforcer, groomed from the age of 12 to serve as her “muscle” and allegedly given drugs by his mother to manipulate and control him. During court proceedings, it was also revealed that Soles had previously sold surveillance equipment to Samantha Watts—an act she reportedly viewed as a betrayal. Prosecutors believe she suspected him of stealing from her drug operation, which may have triggered the violent retaliation. South Carolina Twelfth Circuit Judge Michael Nettles, who presided over the sentencing, acknowledged the pain and suffering endured by Soles before his death. “Can you imagine what it would be like to break one of the biggest bones in your body and sit there for 11 hours?” he said, referring to Soles’ broken leg and prolonged suffering in a wheelchair prior to his murder. Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872