A Georgia man who prosecutors say killed his girlfriend at a South Carolina hotel during a vacation and later wheeled her body out on a luggage cart before stuffing her into his trunk has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder.
The case turned on surveillance video, forensic testing and a confession that came months after the woman disappeared, authorities said. Prosecutors described a timeline that began with an argument after a night out and ended with investigators recovering the victim’s body about six months later. The guilty plea closes the criminal case in court, but officials said a state investigation and local police work were crucial to locating the remains and confirming what happened.
Bornold Alastair Eberhart, 44, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty in South Carolina to murdering 53-year-old Kristen Laymon, according to the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office. A judge sentenced him to 30 years behind bars. Prosecutors said Eberhart and Laymon traveled from Decatur to North Myrtle Beach and checked into the Wyndham Hotel on Sept. 22, 2023. After going out that night, the couple returned to the hotel shortly before 2 a.m. on Sept. 23, investigators said. Surveillance footage showed the two arguing as they arrived, and prosecutors said Laymon opened a car door while the vehicle was still moving.
Laymon got out and went inside alone, prosecutors said, taking an elevator up to her room. “This is the last time Laymon is seen alive,” prosecutors said in a statement summarizing the case. About 10 minutes later, Eberhart went to the room, authorities said. What happened inside has not been described in detail in public court summaries, but prosecutors said Laymon was killed in the hotel. The next day, Sept. 24, surveillance footage showed Eberhart moving through the property with a luggage cart carrying what authorities later said was Laymon’s concealed body. Prosecutors said he wheeled the cart to his car and hoisted Laymon’s body, wrapped in a sheet, into the trunk.
Investigators said testing later linked Laymon to that trunk. Prosecutors said the trunk tested positive for Laymon’s blood, supporting their account that her body was transported in the vehicle. Authorities also said Eberhart tried to create a trail that made it appear Laymon was alive and acting on her own. Prosecutors said he sent Laymon text messages that suggested a disagreement over a vehicle, including messages claiming he would need to find his own way back to Georgia if she did not return his car. Officials did not describe any replies to those messages, and they did not say whether Laymon’s phone was recovered or used after her death.
For months, Laymon’s whereabouts were unknown, prosecutors said, as detectives in South Carolina and Georgia worked to piece together the trip, the hotel timeline and what happened after Eberhart returned home. Prosecutors said Eberhart drove Laymon’s remains back to Decatur and disposed of her body there. Authorities did not identify the specific disposal site in their public court summary, but they said it took about six months before investigators found Laymon. Prosecutors said Eberhart eventually admitted to killing his girlfriend and led police to where he had left her body. Laymon’s remains were recovered on March 9, 2024, officials said.
Prosecutors credited surveillance video and interagency work with breaking the case. They said Georgia detectives worked with North Myrtle Beach investigators to reconstruct the timeline and locate evidence. Assistant Solicitor Anthony DiChiara said the defendant “went to great lengths” to cover up the killing, but investigators persisted. “Detective McCarter, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, and various Georgia law enforcement agencies left no stone unturned,” DiChiara said in a statement. Authorities have not publicly detailed how Eberhart’s account was checked against physical evidence, but they said the case relied on hotel video, forensic findings and the location of the recovered remains.
Laymon was 53 and left behind a daughter, according to information shared by her family. In a remembrance, she was described as someone known for laughter, kindness and persistence. Officials did not say how long the couple had been together, and they did not describe any prior police calls involving the two. Prosecutors also did not outline a motive in their public summary, focusing instead on the travel details, the hotel footage and what they said were steps taken to move and conceal Laymon’s body. The solicitor’s office categorized the case under domestic violence and homicide in its public posting about the plea.
Eberhart’s guilty plea means the case will not go to a jury trial, and the sentence sets the punishment unless modified by a judge or changed through limited legal challenges. Prosecutors did not announce any additional charges tied to evidence tampering or moving a body, and they did not say whether any other court proceedings are scheduled. Officials said law enforcement agencies will continue to handle remaining administrative steps, including standard evidence retention and records processing. The solicitor’s office and police have not released additional surveillance images beyond those referenced in public statements, and they said the focus is now on finalizing reports after the sentencing.
Author note: Last updated February 21, 2026.