Man sentenced to 45 years in prison for North Charleston murder of 18-year-old
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced a 21-year-old man has been sentenced after a jury convicted him of killing a man in 2022.
A Charleston County jury convicted Courtney Charles Richards on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said.
Judge William McMaster sentenced Richards to 45 years in prison.
“Uninvolved, innocent bystanders made this case. They along with the teamwork of prosecutors and NCPD investigators brought the community this verdict. The jury paid close attention to the evidence presented at trial and delivered Richards the justice he deserved,” Wilson said.
The charges stem from the February 2022 deadly shooting on Comstock Avenue in the Union Heights neighborhood.
Evidence presented in court showed that the victim, 18-year-old Javon Thomas, was talking down the street with his girlfriend that afternoon when Richards passed them in his car and parked.
Armed with a gun, Richards exited the car and yelled at Thomas before firing the gun. Investigators said Thomas fired his own weapon back at Richards and ran away. Richards then continued to shoot at Thomas at least six times before he was fatally shot in the back of the head.
The defense claimed Richards was acting in self-defense, however, the jury disagreed and sided with the state.
Richards faced a minimum of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison without parole on the charge of murder.
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