Body found on I-26

A man was found dead on the side of I-26 westbound the morning of Dec. 19, near exit 116.

According to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher, the man’s death was not a result of trauma or suspicious circumstances.

Due to the nature of his death, the man is not being publicly identified.

An investigation by the Cayce Department of Public Safety is ongoing.

1 shot dead at business holiday party

A holiday party gone bad resulted in a Lexington man being shot to death.

On Dec. 20, Lexington Police Department officers responded to a shooting at 102 Gantt Street at Southern Dreams Realty.

Officers found a man lying on the ground of the parking lot with at least 1 gunshot wound.

Witnesses stated that a holiday party had been going on when 2 male individuals got into a physical altercation.

One of the males shot the other to death.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the victim as Wesley J. Warren-Camp, 26, of Lexington.

Warren-Camp was pronounced dead at the scene due to a gunshot wound to the upper body.

This is an active and ongoing investigation with the Lexington Police Department, the State Law Enforcement Division and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.

Police did not release the name of the shooter.

Pelion DUI driver killed cousin

A Pelion man was sentenced to 20 years after killing a passenger of the vehicle he was driving while under the influence.

Steven Ernest Mays, Jr., 41, was sentenced earlier last week following a guilty plea in Lexington County to felony DUI resulting in death.

Under South Carolina law, the charge is classified as a violent crime and a “no parole” offense.

On June 23, 2018, Mays was speeding and unlawfully passing other vehicles on Highway 178 in the Pelion area of Lexington County. He lost control of his pickup truck, struck a ditch, and the vehicle overturned several times.

A passenger in the pickup truck was his cousin, Robert Andrew Mays, 40. The passenger was ejected and died at a local hospital as a result of his injuries.

Steven Mays Jr.’s blood alcohol level was .15 following the crash, according to SLED. The legal BAC limit in SC is .08.

Columbia man accused of 3 murders

Lexington County deputies have arrested a man accused of fatally shooting 3 people at a Bush River Road apartment complex on Butternut Lane Dec. 17.

Justin Tyler Ellaree Hopkins, 21, is charged with 3 counts of murder, unlawful carrying of a pistol, 1st degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants.

Investigators also found physical evidence linking him to the scene after they executed a search warrant at his home Saturday, according to Koon.

Hopkins was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Saint Andrews Road and transported to the Lexington County Detention Center. He is being held there while he awaits a bond hearing.

1 dead in Christmas eve fire

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has identified the victim of a residential structure fire that occurred in the 400 block of Gardners Terrace Road on the evening of Dec. 24, 2019.

Stanley Gonzalez Cook, 51, was pronounced dead on scene.

SLED is investigating the incident.