Lexington County Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Domestic Violence Murder

Lexington, SC 07/02/2026 Scott M. Horton, 59, received a sentence of forty-five (45) years in prison following his conviction for murder in the beating death of his common law wife, Patricia Smerdell, on or about June 20, 2020. Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin imposed the sentence following a recent jury trial in Lexington County. The jury returned a guilty verdict of Murder on Friday, June 19^th, 2026. Horton will not be eligible for parole.

This case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor Jordan Cox. This case was investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

On the morning of Saturday, June 20th, 2020, Scott Horton made a 911 call reporting that his wife was not breathing and was unresponsive on the floor. Deputies with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the couple’s home located at 105 Wynnsum Trail following the 911 call. Upon entering the residence, first responders noted that Patricia Smerdell had been deceased for several hours and had numerus bruises across her face and body.

Scott Horton reported that he found his wife on the floor after he arrived home from work the night before. He stated that he observed bruising on her face, placed a blanket over her, and left her in the floor overnight. Four days later, in a second interview with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Horton made inconsistent statements about when he first found his wife injured on the floor.

An autopsy was conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina by forensic pathologist Dr. Angelina Phillips on June 23, 2020. The autopsy documented over 30 separate injuries to Patricia Smerdell, including multiple patterned injuries consistent with the use of a blunt force tool or instrument. The pathologist noted injuries to the victim’s head, face, ear, chin, torso, shoulder, hip, and lower back. The pathologist determined that the numerous injuries were inconsistent with a fall. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and the manner of death was homicide.

At trial, it was established that Scott Horton and Patricia Smerdell were the only two occupants of the home. There were no signs of a burglary, no signs of forced entry, and no items of value were missing from the home. Evidence set forth that the couple had a history of animosity, including testimony from a neighbor that he heard frequent arguments between the pair. Law enforcement was previously called to the residence in 2017 and 2018 due to civil disputes between the couple.

Horton has been transported to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of the sentence.

During the sentencing phase, the family of Patricia Smerdell shared photographs and memories of her as a mother, sister, and business professional.

If you or someone you know is in need of services or experiencing domestic violence, you may reach the Sistercare Crisis Line at (803) 765-9428.