The Life and Death of Christopher Skinner: Questions Remain Three Years Later
In 2020, Christopher Skinner's story touched hearts across the country when ESPN reporter Marty Smith launched a viral campaign to get his college friend an all-terrain wheelchair. Country music stars Cole Swindell and Luke Bryan joined the effort. A year later, Christopher would be found dead in a community pool, launching a series of events that would eventually trigger an FBI investigation.
Christopher's journey began at age 20 when a drunk driving accident left him a C5-C6 quadriplegic. Rather than let the injury define him, he became a motivational speaker and authored a book titled "The Ultimate Learning Experience." During his rehabilitation, he met his future wife Suzie, a physical therapist. They would later have twins together.
By 2015, Christopher was participating in the Myrtle Beach mini-marathon with his son Caleb. In 2018, he learned to drive using specialized equipment - hand controls and a touchscreen pad installed in his minivan. He was known in his community as an avid chess player, regularly meeting partners at the Yorkshire Parkway community pool.
But behind the inspiring story, trouble was brewing at Solid Rock Ministries, where Christopher and his family were active members. According to court documents filed in 2024, Christopher confronted Pastor JP Miller two weeks before his death about Miller's relationship with Suzie Skinner.
On September 6th, 2021, security cameras captured Christopher wheeling toward the community pool at 7:56 AM. He was there to meet someone for chess. That person never appeared on camera. At 8:50 AM, the water aerobics class discovered his wheelchair in the pool. Despite emergency response efforts, Christopher was pronounced dead at 12:41 PM at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.
The investigation, case number 21-017524, was closed within two days. Within months, JP Miller would deliver Christopher's funeral message, and by Christmas, according to multiple sources, his relationship with Suzie Skinner would become public.
Three years later, in April 2024, another death at Solid Rock Ministries would prompt Ali Williams to file an emergency custody motion connecting both deaths, noting what she called "a disturbing pattern spanning decades." The FBI is now investigating both cases.
Christopher Skinner was 41 years old when he died. His last recorded words from a 2015 interview remain poignant: "Life matters. Make it count. It's such a blessing to be able to wiggle your fingers and wiggle your toes and run around out here."
The investigation continues.
