On May 28, 2024, 40-year-old Colleen Devertorney was found dead inside her Travelers Rest, South Carolina home after sustaining severe physical trauma. Greenville County deputies identified her long-term boyfriend, Michael Clarkson, as the perpetrator of the fatal assault. Clarkson fled the scene but was subsequently apprehended. Sherath Crown, a 38-year-old realtor and Clarkson's mistress, called 911 from the scene and initially presented herself as a concerned bystander attempting CPR. However, law enforcement discovered that Crown had visited the home the previous evening while Devertorney was incapacitated and severely injured, brought Clarkson food and supplies, and left without calling emergency services. Forensic recovery of over 1,100 deleted text messages from Crown's phone revealed that Crown had encouraged Clarkson's hostility, expressed malice toward Devertorney, comforted Clarkson after the violent beatings, and deleted incriminating video evidence at his request. Crown was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of murder and obstruction of justice. Clarkson died in police custody before standing trial, while Crown remained held without bond awaiting trial.
Country: United States
State/Province: South Carolina, United States
City/Region: Travelers Rest
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Love triangle
Relationship Duration: Approximately 7 months
Incident Date: May 28, 2024
Relationship Origins:
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Red Flags:
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Relationship Outcomes:
How the relationship or connection began.
Approximately 7 months
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2024-05-28
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Clueless Criminal Interrogations and Bloodlines · Original language: English
"Friendly" Realtor Has No Idea Police Are About To Arrest Her For Murder
Romantic Triangle
The case involves a violent domestic escalation within a cohabitating partnership, exacerbated by an ongoing extramarital affair. Michael Clarkson engaged in violent assault against his long-term partner Colleen Devertorney after alleged financial disputes and suspected infidelity. Rather than intervening or seeking emergency assistance, his extramarital partner Sherath Crown validated his hostility, comforted him post-assault, and actively engaged in deleting incriminating digital evidence.
Greenville County Sheriff's Office investigators conducted digital forensics on Sherath Crown's seized mobile device, recovering approximately 1,100 deleted text messages. Crown was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of murder and obstruction of justice. Michael Clarkson was charged with murder but died in custody prior to trial. Crown remained jailed after being denied bond in July 2025. Devertorney's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Crown initially attempted to frame her presence as that of a heroic rescuer performing CPR at the instruction of 911 dispatchers. She falsely claimed she had repeatedly instructed Clarkson to stop hitting the victim and seek medical help, a narrative directly contradicted by digital message recovery.
On May 27, 2024, Clarkson severely beat Devertorney inside their home and transmitted violent video footage and photos to Crown between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Crown arrived at the residence around 10:30 p.m. with food and ice, observed Devertorney severely injured on the couch, but failed to call 911 and left around 11:30 p.m. After further overnight violence, Crown returned the following morning around 8:00 a.m. to call 911, subsequently deleting over 1,000 text messages and videos from her phone.
The case illustrates severe risk indicators including escalating physical violence, taunting recorded media sent during active violence, complete failure to summon emergency medical care during lethal trauma, and active digital evidence destruction to protect the perpetrator.
Digital forensic recovery of deleted communication logs often disproves self-serving narratives provided by co-offenders or accomplices during police interrogations. Interventions made to comfort an abusive partner while withholding emergency services from a dying victim constitute severe criminal complicity.
Extramarital partner communication validating domestic hostility, secret dating app relationships, and unaddressed domestic financial grievances constituted early risk factors.
Forensic recovery of 1,100 deleted phone messages and video files showing victim injuries and text exchanges praising or comforting the perpetrator.
Recovered text message logs, deleted video files transmitted by the offender, vehicle search warrant yields, and 911 audio recordings.
During police interrogation, Sherath Crown claimed she was instructed by EMS to perform chest compressions and claimed she repeatedly told Clarkson to stop hitting Devertorney.
Initial claims by Crown that she acted as a peacemaker and rescuer were disproven when forensic examination recovered deleted text messages showing her supportive response to Clarkson's violence.
Details regarding the exact cause of death in police custody for suspect Michael Clarkson were not detailed in the report.