Lexington, SC 06/27/2023 (Paul Kirby) – According to Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard’s office, a 30-year-old Midlands man was convicted last Friday by a Lexington County jury of murder. The man convicted is Trevor Anthony Irvin, a co-worker of Daniel Demetrius Jones, 33. who was brutally gunned down in the parking lot of the business where the 2 men worked. Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin presided over the week-long trial and sentenced Irvin to forty-five years in prison for the murder. Irvin will not be eligible for parole and will serve this sentence day-for-day.
On June 24, 2021, Trevor Irvin shot and killed Daniel Jones in the Capitol Square Parking lot across from the House of Raeford, also known as Columbia Farms, the chicken processing plant located off Sunset Blvd on the banks of the Congaree River in West Columbia. During the trial, evidence and testimony showed that Irvin worked as a line lead at the processing plant. Both men worked in the same section during the night shift. Jones and his girlfriend, who was also an employee of business, had worked on the line with Irvin but had changed that situation before the morning of the murder because of prior disagreements with Irvin.
The testimony revealed that on the day of the shooting, after a meal break, Irvin confronted Jones and an argument ensued. This all happened on the processing line that Jones was assigned to. A witness testified that he had to move Irvin off the line to get him away from Jones. The testimony revealed that Irvin disrespected Jones and his girlfriend. While moving Irvin away from Jones, the witness testified that Irvin threatened to kill Jones and told Jones that he would “F*** him up in the parking lot.”
Further testimony revealed that after the shift ended sometime around 6:30 a.m., Irvin and Jones ended up in the parking lot across the street at Capital Square. They eventually relocated to a gas station behind the shopping center where an altercation ensued. Investigators with the West Columbia Police Department were able to obtain video surveillance from that gas station's cameras. On the video around 6:38 a.m., Irvin can be seen pulling out his firearm and/or showing his firearm to Jones approximately seven times. During the altercation, Irvin throws a punch at Jones. Others intervened to separate the two.
Following this incident, the two ended up back in the parking lot of Capital Square. The testimony at trial was that Irvin began standing on cars and taunting Jones. Video surveillance from the parking lot was introduced that corroborated this testimony. After a few minutes, Irvin leaves this general area of the parking lot and then returns. The testimony revealed that Irvin continued to talk about the incident at the gas station and wanted to get Jones to fight him. At one point, Irvin slapped his own face telling Jones to “hit me.” Irvin also threw air punches in an effort to get Jones to fight him. As soon as Jones finally decided to engage in the fight with Irvin, Irvin shot Jones fifteen times. Jones ducked and attempted to run away from the gunshots, but Irvin continued to shoot Jones while he was on the ground. The autopsy revealed that Irving hit Jones fifteen out of fifteen times including gunshots to his head, abdomen, hand, and back.
The shooting took place at 7:07 a.m. and officers with the West Columbia Police Department responded to the scene very quickly. Jones was eventually pronounced dead at the scene. Irvin was not on scene when the police arrived, but he eventually returned to the parking lot. After getting back to the scene of the crime, Irvine approached one of the police officers and indicated that he shot Jones in self-defense. At the trial, Irvin testified in his own defense and told the jury that he was in fear for his life at the time of the shooting. The evidence and testimony revealed that this was not true and in fact Jones was unarmed and Irvin was the aggressor.. Irvin and his attorneys were also unable to convince the jury of this and he was convicted of murder after about an hour and a half of deliberations.
During sentencing, family members addressed the Court expressing that this was a “senseless” killing and that “nobody wins here.” Jones was a loving father, friend, brother, and son who did not deserve to lose his life in such a brutal killing.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Sutania A. Fuller and Deputy Solicitor Rhonda Patterson handled the trial of this case. The investigation was conducted by the West Columbia Police Department with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Irvin will be transported to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin serving his prison sentence.
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