Man arrested as person of interest in death investigation charged with murder

Lexington, SC 11/30/2023 - Lexington County deputies have charged a Leesville man with murder in the shooting death of a man earlier this month.

Jesse Lou Gregory, 34, is charged with murder, grand larceny, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and circumventing an electronic monitoring device, according to arrest warrants.

“These charges are the result of our investigation into a body that was found Nov. 12 at the corner of Old Barnwell Road and White Knoll Way,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Gregory was identified as a person of interest in that crime and arrested Nov. 13 and charged with desecrating human remains after investigators said he discarded the body of a shooting victim.”

Gregory is accused of shooting Nicholas Kenneth Hendrix with a shotgun, according to Koon.

“Gregory told detectives he shot Hendrix while the two of them were driving around in the Leesville area,” Koon said. “Hendrix’s injuries and evidence collected from the car is inconsistent with Gregory’s account of how things unfolded.”

Koon said Gregory is accused of stealing a car the day before he allegedly shot Hendrix, which prompted the grand larceny charge. Gregory was apprehended in Aiken County with the vehicle.

“Before the sequence of events unfolded, we’ve confirmed Gregory failed to properly charge a GPS electronic ankle monitoring device he was required to wear as a condition of his bond from a previous charge,” Koon said.

Gregory is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.