From the Office of the 11th Circuit Solicitor:
A Lexington man, William Thomas Embree, 37, of 364 Happy Town Road in Gaston has been sentenced to prison for the crimes of Voluntary Manslaughter and Kidnapping in the 2011 disappearance and murder of 22-year old Michael Jody George,of West Columbia.

The Honorable Roger Couch sentenced Embree to 25 years. Jamey Charles Mallete, 39, of 1218-D Busbee Road Gaston, Embree’s co-defendant, previously pled guilty to Murder and Kidnapping on March 30, 2015 and received a 30 year sentence.George was reported missing by family members on Christmas Day 2011. Investigation revealed that in the early morning hours of December 24, 2011, George became ill and incapacitated.

Embree was observed taking George from Shooter’s Bar and Grill in the Cayce/West Columbia area of the County. George’s blood was found in the trunk of Embree’s car and in Mallette’s home. Almost 2 years later, police found George’s body in a wooded area off Busbee road near Mallette’s house. An autopsy revealed that George had likely died of head injuries related to a beating.