Man accused of shooting 19-year-old female clerk

A South Carolina man was taken into custody on Jan. 23 after he was accused of killing a 19-year-old woman at Peach Stand in Fort Mill. According to the arrest warrant, the 28-year-old man allegedly shot the female clerk multiple times with a handgun.

The report said that the 19-year-old clerk was working at The Peach Stand when the accused man, who had no previous criminal record in South Carolina, shot her several times. The man was ultimately charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was denied bond and remained in custody at York County jail.

The accused man’s neighbors said that he appeared to be a normal guy and did not act off in any way. He lived in Lancaster with his mother. She was reportedly inconsolable following the news and had asked forgiveness from the young woman’s family. The accused man was appointed a lawyer who intended to open an independent investigation into the events surrounding the case. If he is convicted on the murder charge, he could face a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Although the consequences associated with murder and other violent crimes are particularly extreme in South Carolina, there are viable defenses that could cause the charges to be reduced or even dropped. Depending on the circumstances, a criminal law attorney may argue that the accused person was misidentified and not involved in the violent crime. Other defenses could include self-defense or the defense of another person. In other cases, the attorney might attempt to have the charges dismissed if there is a lack of evidence or if major mistakes were made by the authorities when the client was taken into custody.