Prosecutors File for Capital Punishment
South Carolina prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty against James Douglas Drayton, a 26-year-old man accused of killing five people in Inman nearly two years ago. The 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office filed a motion last week indicating their plans to pursue capital punishment. The office has declined to comment further on the decision, and a trial date has yet to be scheduled.
Details of the 2022 Arrest and Charges
Drayton was arrested in October 2022 and subsequently charged with five counts of murder and five counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The charges stem from a gruesome incident in which five people were shot inside a home in Inman, a small town located approximately 13 miles northwest of Spartanburg. Four victims—Thomas Ellis Anderson, 37; James Derek Baldwin, 49; Mark Allen Hewitt, 59; and Adam Daniel Morley, 32—were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fifth victim, 19-year-old Roman Christean Megael Rocha, succumbed to his injuries later at a hospital.
Confession and Circumstances Surrounding the Crime
At the time of his arrest, Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright revealed that Drayton had confessed to the killings. According to Wright, Drayton admitted to being high on methamphetamine and suffering from sleep deprivation, having not slept for four days. Drayton reportedly handed over the gun used in the murders and explained that he had been staying at the home, which was frequently visited by individuals using drugs.
Drayton was apprehended in Georgia after a police chase ended in a crash. Authorities in Burke County, Georgia—located about 145 miles away from Inman—stated that Drayton attempted to rob a convenience store at gunpoint and kidnap an employee before leading them on the chase. He was driving a car taken from the Inman crime scene at the time of his arrest.
Defense and Legal Proceedings
Drayton’s attorney, public defender Michael David Morin, has declined to comment on the case due to its ongoing nature. The trial proceedings are expected to draw significant attention, given the severity of the charges and the decision to seek the death penalty.
As the case moves forward, the prosecution’s decision to seek capital punishment will likely spark discussions around the use of the death penalty in South Carolina and the broader implications of the state’s recent legal rulings on execution methods.
