In one of Spartanburg County's deadliest murder cases in recent memory, James Douglas Drayton was sentenced yesterday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after admitting to killing five men at a home in Inman in October 2022. Authorities say Drayton, who told investigators he had been using methamphetamine and had not slept for days, shot the men at close range, with some reportedly still asleep when he pulled the trigger. Grieving family members filled the courtroom and urged the judge to stack the life sentences one after another, calling the punishment the only measure of closure they were likely to get.
Plea and sentence
According to The Associated Press, Drayton, 28, pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and five counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. In return, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty.
Solicitor Barry Barnette said Drayton told investigators he had been awake for four days before the shootings. Under current South Carolina law, the consecutive life sentences mean Drayton will never be eligible for parole. The AP reports that by entering the plea, Drayton avoided a capital trial and told the court he would not appeal.
Crime scene and arrest
Officials say the killings happened at a house on Bobo Drive in Inman, a property law enforcement described as a “safe haven” for people using drugs, as reported by FOX Carolina. Inside, investigators found the bodies of five men, all shot at close range.
Authorities say Drayton fled the scene, stole one of the victims' cars and headed south. He was arrested the next day in Burke County, Georgia, after a multijurisdictional chase. Deputies said he still had the gun used in the killings when they took him into custody. According to FOX Carolina, state officials coordinated to extradite Drayton back to South Carolina in January 2024 so he could face the charges in Spartanburg County.
Victims and community reaction
Per WCCB Charlotte, the men killed were identified as Thomas Wayne Ellis Anderson, 37, James Derrick Baldwin, 49, Mark Allan Hewitt, 59, Adam Daniel Morley, 32, and Roman Christean Megael Rocha, 19.
In court, relatives described the ripple effect of the murders, telling the judge that Drayton's actions devastated their families and shattered any sense of normal life. They said the five consecutive life sentences reflected the scale of the loss, one life term for each person killed.
Former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright told investigators, “They are all a child of God, they didn’t deserve what they got,” a sentiment echoed by loved ones who addressed the court and urged that Drayton never walk free again.
Prosecutors' choice and legal fallout
The Associated Press notes that prosecutors agreed to accept Drayton's guilty plea in part to avoid a lengthy and emotionally draining capital trial, giving up the option of the death penalty in exchange for his admissions in court.
Local reporting by FOX Carolina adds that the plea deal sharply limits Drayton's ability to seek appeals or post-conviction relief. Prosecutors and family members said the agreement locks in the consecutive life sentences, guarantees that Drayton will spend the rest of his life behind bars and spares survivors from years of revisiting the case in court.
