Kayla Tisdale, 38, has just been sentenced to 14 years behind bars after pleading guilty to felony DUI resulting in death. According to authorities, she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.19 when she struck retired cop Steven Marshall, 62, in April 2025, leading to his death.
According to prosecutors, Tisdale fled the scene of the DUI crash and collected her daughter from elementary school before her arrest. People report that Marshall was riding a motorcycle at the time of the drunk-driving crash. Shockingly, this wasn’t Tisdale’s only serious crime.
On June 9, Tisdale pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence resulting in death. According to a release from South Carolina’s Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the woman was then sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The DUI charge stemmed from the crash on April 4, 2025 that killed Marshall, a retired Bethlehem, Pa., police sergeant who was living in Myrtle Beach.
DUI in North Myrtle Beach
As around 1:30 pm on April 4, 2025, Tisdale was driving on Sea Mountain Highway in North Myrtle Beach when she failed to yield to Marshall, who was traveling on a motorcycle at the time. According to prosecutors, he was “almost instantly” killed in the crash.
The release reveals that Tisdale fled the scene following the crash and collected her daughter from elementary school. She was then arrested by South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers a she stopped her vehicle in front of a house.
‘Gross Intoxication’ Led to Deadly Crash
In their release, prosecutors said Tisdale had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.19, which is almost three times the legal limit of 0.08 in South Carolina. When the troopers located her following the deadly crash, they observed signs of “gross intoxication.”
Woman drives drunk and kills a retired police officer, but that wasn’t her only crime.https://t.co/oegjSW8X6m
— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) June 12, 2026
When in court, Tisdale said she had been drinking alcohol since 8:30 am that day. Moreover, she couldn’t remember buying her last drink at a Circle K convenience store. However, the release notes that her purchase was captured on surveillance video.
In court on June 9, Judge Michael Nettles sentenced her to 14 years behind bars. According to South Carolina law, she must serve a minimum of 85 percent of her sentence before she is eligible for supervised release.
Another Guilty Plea From Tisdale
Meanwhile, Tisdale’s guilty plea came two months after she pleaded guilty in an unrelated case in federal court. She claims that it was the stress of that case that led to her excessive drinking.
According to the solicitor’s office, she pleaded guilty in federal court in April relating to misprision of a felony, where she admitted to concealing $750,000 in cash and gold bullion relating to a drug-trafficking scheme.
Loss of a career public servant
Assistant Solicitor Brandon Lanier said in a statement, “Our community lost a career public servant, who spent the better part of 20 years attempting to save lives, simply because Ms. Tisdale chose to become grossly impaired before 9:00 am that day.”
According to a statement from the Bethlehem Police Department, Steven Marshall had served with them for 22 years until he retired in 2010.
“His dedication, professionalism, and commitment during his more than two decades of service left an indelible mark on our department and all who had the privilege of working alongside him,” the statement read. “His legacy and contributions to the department will not be forgotten.”