Brandon Rodrigues Graves was raised in Little Rock, South Carolina by his aunt and uncle. His mother died when he was three years old, and his father was never part of his life. Brandon was well-liked and a good boy. He never got into trouble, used drugs, or had any known enemies. He attended Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina for a year and then transferred to Coastal Carolina University, where he was a trainer for their football team. Brandon graduated from Coastal Carolina University in December 2008 with a degree in sports management. 26-year-old Brandon lived and worked in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He kept in close contact with his family, and as an adult, he would visit the aunt and uncle who raised him every weekend, the Charley Project reports.