The mother of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton is speaking publicly for the first time since a South Carolina jury acquitted Rick Chow in the 2023 shooting death of her son.
Nicole Carmack delivered an emotional message about grief, justice, and what she believes are systemic failures that contributed to the outcome of the case.
In an interview with Something Black Made, Nicole Carmack described the pain of losing her son and the anguish she felt after learning that Chow, who had been charged in connection with the teen’s death, was found not guilty.
Among her most heartbreaking reflections was the reminder that while the legal case may be over, her family’s loss is permanent.
“My son loved everybody,” Carmack said. “Every day I will not be able to speak to my son, to hear his voice change, see him grow, go to prom. He will never get married. I would never hold his grandchildren.”
Her remarks come after a jury cleared Chow of criminal responsibility in a case that drew national attention and renewed conversations about race, self-defense laws, and justice in America.
A Verdict She Says She Never Expected
Cyrus Carmack-Belton was killed in May 2023 outside a convenience store in Columbia, South Carolina. The shooting sparked widespread public outrage and calls for accountability.
Following Chow’s acquittal, Carmack said she was left devastated and frustrated by what she believes jurors were not allowed to hear during the trial.
“I just learned today that South Carolina, if it’s a murder charge, they cannot bring in any of your prior acts,” she said.
According to Carmack, evidence she believes could have helped jurors better understand Chow’s history was excluded under state evidentiary rules.
“If that is on the law books, that needs to be changed,” she said. “Because if that was not there then my son would have gotten justice.”
Her comments point to a broader debate over what prior conduct can be introduced in criminal trials and whether existing rules sometimes limit what juries can consider when evaluating a defendant’s actions.
Calls for Legal Reform
Carmack’s criticism extended beyond the verdict itself.
She argued that the case highlights what she sees as the need for legal reforms and stronger protections for Black and Brown communities.
“To allow this person to terrorize this neighborhood for 12, 13 years is ridiculous,” she said. “And it’s just showing that it’s okay to treat Black and Brown people wrong, and it’s not.”
She also accused the Chow family of racially profiling her son and maintained that accountability should extend beyond a single individual.
“The entire family should be held accountable because it was racially profiled,” she said.
Those allegations have been central to public discussions surrounding the case, though the jury ultimately found Chow not guilty.
Facing Online Harassment
In addition to mourning her son, Carmack revealed that she has faced a barrage of hateful messages online since the verdict.
“When I go and I look at my social media, I have racist people coming to my page, going under my son’s pictures, leaving the most horrific things, saying that they’re glad he’s dead,” she said.
The comments, she said, have deepened her grief and reinforced her determination to continue speaking out.
“I am tired,” she said. “I don’t want this to happen to any other child. No Black or Brown child should have to go through this. No parents should have to go through this.”
Defending Her Son’s Memory
Throughout the interview, Carmack pushed back against what she described as efforts by some critics to portray her son negatively.
She stated that Cyrus was a teenager still finding his way in life and argued that youthful mistakes should not define a person’s worth.
“My son was not a thug,” she said. “He was a 14-year-old boy who was trying to find his way.”
Carmack also rejected suggestions that she and her family had failed as parents.
“I refuse to allow any of you to sit up there and make it seem like we were bad parents because we were not,” she said.
Highlighting her own educational background, she added, “I am a college-educated woman. I hold a master’s degree in information technology management.”
A Fight That Continues
Although the criminal case has concluded, Carmack made clear that her advocacy efforts are far from over.
Her interview focused not only on the loss of her son but also on what she views as larger issues involving racial bias, accountability, and the treatment of Black children within the justice system.
For Carmack, the acquittal marks neither closure nor resolution.
Instead, she says it has strengthened her commitment to ensuring that other families do not experience the same pain.
As public debate over the verdict continues, her words underscore the enduring human cost behind a case that has become a flashpoint in conversations about race, justice, and the value placed on young Black lives.
“Every day,” she said, “I will not be able to speak to my son.”
For a grieving mother, that reality remains unchanged regardless of what a jury decided.
