Men in search of a victim shot, killed man walking along the road

Two men searching for someone to kill just happened across a Gilbert man walking along the road and shot him, police said.

The men charged Friday in the murder of Mr. James Wilbur Lybrand III didn't know him and had no reason for killing him, Lexington County Sheriff's deputies said.

Mr. Phillip Harold Jackson, 22, of 256 Shadow Dale Drive and Mr. D'Marqus Laquen Thomas, 20, of 259 Sugar Hill Lane, both of Gaston, were charged with murder while in jail on unrelated charges from another incident, officials said.

Murder charges in Mr. Lybrand's shooting are also pending against two other men already in jail on unrelated charges, officials said.

Arrest warrants allege that on Nov. 1, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas used a handgun to shoot Mr. Lybrand once in the head with the intent of killing Mr. Lybrand as he walked along the 600 block of Old Wire Road near West Columbia, Sheriff James R. Metts said.

Lybrand, 20, of 3384 Old Charleston Road near Gilbert, was shot at random. The killing was not related to drug activity or gang activity, Mr. Metts said.

Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas did not know Mr. Lybrand, Mr. Metts said. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas decided to kill someone and encountered Mr. Lybrand by chance while they were driving on Old Wire Road, the sheriff said.

Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas stopped their motor vehicle, asked Mr. Lybrand to approach and shot Mr. Lybrand at close range when he approached their vehicle, Mr. Metts said.

A woman who lives in the 600 block of Old Wire Road reported seeing someone lying along side the road at 5:08 a.m. on Nov. 1. That's when emergency workers and deputies found Mr. Lybrand's body.

Murder charges are also pending against Mr. Neo Desmond Colin Haywood, 24, of 121 Furtick Road, Swansea, and Mr. Justin Lavar Jones, 22, of 143 Yellow Jasmine Road, Orangeburg, in connection with the fatal shooting of Mr. Lybrand, Mr. Metts said.

Mr. Haywood and Mr. Jones are in the Lexington County Detention Center on unrelated charges.

Mr. Haywood was denied bond on charges of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in a case that is not related to the fatal shooting of Mr. Lybrand, Mr. Metts said.

Mr. Jones is awaiting bond hearings on similar charges of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in a case that is not related to the fatal shooting of Mr. Lybrand.

Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas, who have already been charged in the murder of Mr. Lybrand were both denied bond on other charges not related to the fatal shooting. They were first arrested on charges of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the unrelated case.

Under South Carolina law, bond hearings for Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas on the murder charge must be conducted in general court by a circuit court judge because murder carries a punishment of life in prison, Mr. Metts said.

The 11th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office has not yet scheduled bond hearings for Mr. Jackson and Mr. Thomas on the murder charge.