From 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office – Trevor Anthony Irvin, 30, was convicted last week Friday, June 23, 2023, by a Lexington County jury for the brutal killing of Daniel Demetrius Jones (seen in photographs below), 33. Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin presided over the week-long trial and sentenced Irvin to forty-five (45) years in prison for the murder. Irvin will not be eligible for parole and will serve this sentence day-for-day.

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).

On June 24, 2021, Trevor Irvin shot and killed Daniel Jones in the Capitol Square Parking lot across from the House of Raeford (Columbia Farms) chicken plant located on Sunset Blvd in the West Columbia area of Lexington County. During the trial, the evidence and testimony revealed that Irvin worked as a line lead at the House of Raeford. Jones and Irvin worked in the same section during the night shift. Jones and his girlfriend were no longer working on the line Irvin primarily worked on due to prior disagreements.

The testimony revealed that on the day of the shooting, after the lunch break, Irvin confronted Jones and a verbal altercation ensued on the line 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, Irvin threatened to kill Jones and told Jones that he would “F*** [him] up in the parking lot.”

During the trial, it was revealed that after the shift ended sometime around 6:30 a.m., Irvin and Jones ended up in the parking lot across the street and eventually at 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. 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. The testimony at trial was that Irvin was standing on cars and taunting Jones. During the trial, 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 decided to engage, Irvin shot Jones fifteen (15) times as Jones ducked and attempted to run away from the gunshots. Irvin continued to shoot Jones while he was on the ground. The autopsy revealed that Jones sustained fifteen (15) gunshot wounds including gunshots to the head, abdomen, hand, and back.

The shooting took place at 7:07 a.m. and West Columbia Police Department responded to the scene very quickly. Jones was eventually pronounced dead at the scene despite initially having a pulse when the police arrived. Irvin was not on scene when the police arrived, but he eventually returned to the scene. He approached a police officer and indicated that he shot in self-defense. During 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 Irvin did not act in self-defense. The jury ultimately convicted Irvin 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.

Irvin will be transported to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin serving his prison sentence.