TWENTY-FOUR YEAR OLD CONVICTED OF MURDER AND POSSESSION OF A WEAPON
September 14, 2022
Columbia– On Friday, September 9, 2022, twenty-one year old Jaylen Bell was convicted of Murder and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime by a Richland County Jury.
On November 24, 2019, thirty-four year old Demetrius Floyd was found inside a residence located on Dubard Boyle Road with multiple gunshot wounds throughout his body. After gunning down the victim, Bell fled the scene and got rid of the gun and his cell phone. He remained on the run for three days until he was finally apprehended by law enforcement.
During the three day trial, Bell took the witness stand to testify and claimed that he acted in self-defense. That claim, however, was unsuccessful as there was extensive evidence and testimony presented to the contrary. Witnesses and Richland County Sherriff’s Department Investigators were able to show the jury that this was in fact just the latest example of another innocent victim whose life was tragically cut short by gun violence in Richland County.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Dale Scott and Assistant Solicitor Walt Whitmire prosecuted the case for the State. The Honorable Robert Hood sentenced Bell to 35 years in prison for the Murder and 5 years in prison for the Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime.