Lexington, SC 04/04/2022 (Paul Kirby) – On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, a Lexington County jury found Vincent T. Shivers, age 52, guilty of murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend. The jury also found him guilty of Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime. Investigators provided sufficient evidence to prove to the jury that on or about September 2nd, 2019, Shiver shot and killed 45-year-old Roselynn Cedeno. Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin imposed a seventy-five-year prison sentence upon Shivers. By SC law, he is not eligible for parole.
This murder was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor LeAnna McMenamin. This case was investigated by Sgt. Nick Burt and numerous members of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD).
After the trial ended, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard stated, “this was a brutal crime committed during an act of domestic violence. We continue our efforts to aggressively prosecute crimes of violence and ensure the safety of families in our community.”
According to investigators, on the morning of September 3, 2019, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department received a request for a welfare check after Shivers failed to appear for his job as a finance manager at a local business in Columbia. The LCSD responding officer arrived at Shivers’ residence, located at 216 Carriage Hill Court, at approximately 11:31 am to conduct the welfare check. After getting no response at the front door, the deputy observed a body in plain view inside the master bedroom through a glass balcony door. Members of LCSD, including Crime Scene Investigators (CSI), arrived at the residence and a search warrant was later obtained for the home.
The investigation determined that the deceased victim was Roselynn Cedeno, age 45. Cedeno was the girlfriend of Shivers. The couple had moved into the home in Lexington County in July of 2019. Cedeno had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her body and numerous .45 caliber shell casings surrounded her on the floor. There were no signs of forced entry into the residence.
Shivers could not be located at the home and his Ford F150 truck was also missing. LCSD classified Shivers as a “missing person” and began a nationwide search to determine his whereabouts.
A search of the home revealed that numerous rounds of .45 caliber ammunition were present in Shivers’ home. Those matched the spent cartridge casings found by Crime Scene Investigators at the crime scene. A gun box was also located in the master bedroom closet for a .45 caliber Springfield XD firearm however, the gun was missing from the box.
On September 5th, investigators learned that Shivers had crossed the border into Canada. Testimony at trial established that Shivers had not previously told any of his friends or co-workers of any plans to travel to Canada. Video surveillance footage from the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing showed that Shivers was alone in his truck when he crossed. LCSD investigators also discovered that Shivers had purchased an airline ticket to London once he arrived in Canada. They also determined that Shivers had stayed at hotels after crossing the border and had purchased luggage and clothing within the last two days. Shivers’ cell phone appeared to have been cut off after he left Lexington County in the early morning hours of September 2nd.
LCSD personnel and the U.S. Marshals Service notified Canadian authorities that Shivers was in their country. Shivers was arrested by the Toronto Police Services Fugitive Squad on September 5th at approximately 6:00 p.m. At the time, he was waiting to board a flight to London at the Toronto International Airport.
Toronto’s Police Services secured the Ford F150 which was later transported back to Lexington County for processing. Once a search of the vehicle was conducted by LCSD, additional matching HPR .45 caliber ammunition was located inside that vehicle. The missing .45 caliber Springfield XD firearm was never recovered.
At sentencing, Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes stated “our work towards community safety includes the responsibility to prosecute such cases to the fullest extent of the law.” Roselynn Cedeno’s son, and her father, also addressed the court regarding the profound impact of her loss on their family.
Shivers has been transported to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of the sentence.
PHOTO CAPTION L to R: Vincent Shiver and Roselyn Cedeno
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