Richland County Man Convicted in Deadly Shooting Case
September 13, 2024
On Thursday, Sept. 12, a Richland County jury convicted Darius Foster of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The Honorable Thomas William McGee III sentenced Foster to 30 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Foster faced trial for the murder of 28-year-old Deddrick Pogue, whom he shot on July 16, 2022, during a drug deal turned robbery.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department obtained surveillance video footage from the InTown Suites on Two Notch Road, showing Foster entering and exiting the hotel room where Pogue was shot. A hotel resident witnessed Foster retrieve a gun from an unknown individual in his vehicle, conceal it, and re-enter Pogue’s room. The resident heard two gunshots and saw Foster flee the scene but managed to record the vehicle’s license plate number.
The victim’s girlfriend, who was present during the shooting, later identified Foster in a photo lineup.
Soon after, law enforcement recovered the victim’s phone, linking the victim’s communications to a Facebook page associated with Foster’s email address. Additionally, phone records were obtained, placing the defendant’s phone at the hotel during the shooting.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department made the initial arrest of the defendant in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 19, 2022, at his cousin’s home, just days after the occurrence. A search warrant executed at the cousin’s residence led to the discovery of a gun that matched the projectiles found in Pogue’s body.
Foster denied any involvement in Pogue’s murder, claiming he was in Charlotte at the time of the incident. However, his cousin contradicted this claim, stating that Foster arrived at her home a day after the shooting.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, represented by Assistant Solicitors Anna Browder, Gabrielle Sharp, and Stephanie Taylor, prosecuted the case.