A 21-year-old man who once faced a potential death sentence will instead spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a Lancaster County woman in what investigators called a random robbery attempt. Asael Torres-Chirinos pleaded guilty Friday to murdering 40-year-old Larisha Thompson, who was shot while driving along Riverside Road in May 2025.
Torres-Chirinos pleaded guilty to murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, attempted armed robbery and burglary, according to WBTV. His negotiated sentence is life in prison without parole, ending South Carolina prosecutors’ earlier pursuit of the death penalty.
Thompson was found dead behind the wheel of her Honda Accord just before midnight on May 2, 2025, after family members began searching when they lost contact with her. She had been traveling alone toward Rock Hill, investigators said. Hoodline’s earlier arrest report detailed how six suspects, ranging in age from 13 to 21, were tied to the killing and a separate burglary.
Evidence Tied The Shooting To A Botched Store Burglary
The case grew out of two crime scenes. Investigators said a group tried to break into Van Wyck Mart on April 30, and ballistics evidence linked the same 9mm handgun to that attempted burglary and Thompson’s killing, according to the Rock Hill Herald.
Authorities later said all six suspects were inside Torres-Chirinos’ car when it pulled alongside Thompson’s Accord. Torres-Chirinos was seated in the front passenger seat and opened fire, investigators said, after which the group allegedly tried to get into Thompson’s locked vehicle before fleeing.
Death Penalty Bid Ends With Plea Deal
Torres-Chirinos was the only defendant older than 18 among the five teenage co-defendants charged in the case. Earlier court testimony described him as the alleged shooter and ringleader, while defense attorneys argued that some of the younger suspects had been coerced, the Rock Hill Herald reported.
Friday’s plea resolves Torres-Chirinos’ case without a capital trial. WBTV reported that the life-without-parole sentence was part of the negotiated agreement.
