news in brief

Correction: Last week we incorrectly reported that the Springdale police chief and an officer in the police department had been indicted on federal fraud and drug charges. The story should have reported Springfield Police Department Chief Lacra Sharod Jenkins and Springfield Police Department Officer Allan Hunter, Jr. were indicted. We regret this error.

Lexington Coroner re-opens

homicide cold case

The Lexington County Coroner’s Office is investigating a cold case homicide and needs your help.

On Sept. 2, 2006 Julianne Lee (born 1961), was found dead from stab wounds inside of her single-wide mobile home at 628 Lawson Road in the Leesville area of Lexington County.

At the time of her death, the Lexington County Coroner ruled Lee’s death a suicide.

Further investigation into the case by an independent pathologist found the cause of death to be homicide.

A $25,000 reward is being offered by Lee’s family for any information that may lead to an arrest and conviction in this murder.

If you or someone you know has any information that could help investigators solve this case, please contact the Lexington County Coroner’s Office between 8:30 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday or call Crimestoppers at 1-888-274-6372.

Spring Hill Road traffic fatality

A Lexington man died in a motor vehicle collision in Gilbert Apr. 9.

Lester Jerome Blackwell, III, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene due to his injuries, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.

Blackwell was traveling through the intersection of Spring Hill Road and Spool Wheel Road when another driver struck Blackwell’s vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

The collision remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

South Lake Drive traffic fatality

A Gaston man died in a single motor vehicle accident in Red Bank Apr. 10

Nicolas Robert Fielding, 23, was traveling toward Lexington when his vehicle left the right side of the roadway, struck a culvert, went down an embankment, and became submerged in a creek. Fielding was trapped in the vehicle.

Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher ruled Fielding’s death was the result of drowning.

The accident remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

3 from W. Columbia convicted

for 2018 armed robberies

3 co-defendants have pled guilty to multiple counts of Armed Robbery. All 3 are from West Columbia.

The robberies occurred at multiple businesses in Lexington County from June 16 to June 27 of 2018.

Devontre Cortell Jackson, 27, pled guilty to multiple counts of Armed Robbery and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Jason Rashad-Knight Timmons, 19, pled guilty to multiple counts of Armed Robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

De’Avian Deanne Young, 18, pled guilty to multiple counts of Armed Robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Armed Robbery is classified as a “no parole” offense under South Carolina law.

“These three individuals terrorized Lexington County for over a week in one of the longest, most violent and aggressive string of armed robberies we have seen in a long time. The citizens of Lexington County that were victimized have received justice,” said 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, West Columbia Police Department, Cayce Department of Public Safety, and Springdale Police Department were involved in the investigation of these robberies.

Several arrested in West

Columbia drug bust

The West Columbia Police Department has made multiple arrests in conjunction with a 3-month-long narcotics investigation.

West Columbia Narcotics investigators arrested Davarious Savon Keith, 25, of West Columbia Apr. 11.

Keith is charged with 3 counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine, 1 count of Distribution of Marijuana and 4 counts of Distribution of Narcotics within Proximity of a School.

West Columbia Narcotics Investigators also arrested the following individuals:

• James Corbitt, 37, was also arrested for a Family Court Bench Warrant.

• Sanchez Dwayne Jackson, 26, for 2 counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine and 2 counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine within Proximity of a School.

• Gill A. Jones, 31, for 1 count of possession of ecstasy.

West Columbia Police Chief Dennis Tyndall stated, “I would like to thank all of the agencies that assisted in our search warrant and in locating other individuals that were wanted in the City of West Columbia. We greatly appreciate the assistance from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, SLED, Probation, Parole, and Pardon Service, and the ATF.”

As of Friday, all suspects were being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.

SLED probes shooting

SC Law Enforcement Division agents are investigating a Saturday shooting.

A Lexington County Sheriff’s deputy fired during a confrontation with a man. No one was injured.

SLED is acting at the request of the sheriff’s department.

Information gathered in the investigation will be summarized for prosecutors. No other information will be disclosed at this time.

This was the 17th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2019 and the 1st this year involving a Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

In 2018, 43 officer-involved shootings were reported in the state, 3 in the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

Fernandina Road motor

vehicle fatality

Calvin Ray Casson, 51, died as a result of a motor vehicle collision on Fernandina Road shortly after 7 pm Monday.

Casson was traveling east on Fernandina Road when a tractor-trailer, traveling west on I-26, left the right side of the interstate, went through a fence, and collided head-on with Casson’s pickup truck.

The Columbia man was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the collision, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.

The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The collision remains under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.