Decatur man Bornold Alastair Eberhart admits to killing woman during trip to Myrtle Beach

CONWAY, SC — A DeKalb County man will spend 30 years behind bars after pleading guilty to killing a woman during a 2023 trip to Myrtle Beach.

Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson announced that Bornold Alastair Eberhart, 44, of Decatur, entered the guilty plea Tuesday, about a month before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Eberhart pleaded guilty to the murder of Kristen Laymon. A judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

Investigators said Eberhart and Laymon traveled from Georgia to South Carolina on Sept. 22, 2023, for a vacation at the Wyndham Hotel in North Myrtle Beach. Laymon booked the room for a two-night stay and listed Eberhart as the only other guest.

Surveillance video showed the pair returning to the hotel around 1:56 a.m. on Sept. 23 after a night out. Footage captured the couple arguing inside their vehicle, and at one point, Laymon opened the passenger-side door while the vehicle was still moving.

Laymon later exited the vehicle and took the elevator to the hotel room she shared with Eberhart. Investigators said that was the last time she was seen alive.

Approximately 10 minutes later, surveillance video showed Eberhart entering the room.

On Sept. 24, hotel security footage captured Eberhart wearing a black hoodie and gloves as he rolled Laymon’s body out of the hotel and placed it in the trunk of his vehicle. Authorities later found blood in the trunk, and DNA testing confirmed it belonged to Laymon.

Investigators said Eberhart’s cellphone records became a crucial piece of evidence. Between the time Laymon was last seen alive and when he was recorded moving her body, Eberhart sent text messages from her phone claiming he had not seen her since the night before and would need a ride back to Georgia if she did not return with the vehicle.

Less than 12 hours later, surveillance footage showed him placing her body in the trunk.

Authorities said Eberhart then drove back to Georgia and disposed of Laymon’s body. Her remains were discovered six months later.

On Nov. 8, 2023, Georgia detectives contacted North Myrtle Beach police about Laymon’s disappearance.

“The defendant in this case went to great lengths to cover up the murder of Ms. Laymon, but Detective McCarter, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, and various Georgia law enforcement agencies left no stone unturned,” Assistant Solicitor Anthony DiChiara said. “We thank law enforcement for their relentless effort in bringing this defendant to justice.”