LEXINGTON, S.C. — A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of a coworker on June 24, 2021.
A Lexington County jury found Trevor Anthony Irvin guilty for the death of Daniel Demetrius Jones, 33. According to court records, Irvin and Jones were coworkers at House of Raeford (Columbia Farms) chicken plant on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia. Irvin worked as a line lead and Jones worked in the same section on the night shift.
The day before the murder, Irvin and Jones got into a verbal altercation on the line Jones was assigned to after Irvin disrespected Jones and Jones' girlfriend. The two men had to be physically separated and, as Irvin was moved away from Jones, Irvin threatened to kill Jones, saying he would "F*** (Jones) up in the parking lot."
Testimony in the trial revealed that after the work shift ended around 6:30 a.m., Irvin and Jones were first seen together in the parking lot at Capitol Square shopping center -- across the street from House of Raeford. The two men eventually ended up at a gas station behind the shopping center where another altercation broke out. During the fight, Irvin threw a punch at Jones before others intervened to separate the two men.
Surveillance video from a nearby gas station, obtained by West Columbia Police, shows that around 6:38 a.m., Irvin pulls out a firearm and shows it to Jones about seven times. Irvin is also shown standing on top of cars and taunting Jones.
On the video, Irvin leaves the parking lot and then returns.
Irvin continues to taunt Jones, at one point Irvin slaps his own face while telling Jones to "hit me." As soon as Jones decides to engage in the fight, Irvin shoots him 15 times, hitting Jones in the head, abdomen, hand, and back.
During the trial, Irvin claimed self-defense.
The Lexington County jury deliberated for about an hour and a half before finding Irvin guilty of murder.
Circuit Court Judge Debra R. McCaslin presided over the week-long trial and sentenced Irvin to 45 years in prison -- without parole -- for the murder.