Lexington County man sentenced to 25 years for fatal shooting of woman
April 10, 2025
On April 8, Carlos Renard Dates, 36, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder. The Honorable Heath P. Taylor sentenced him to 25 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
On Oct. 21, 2022, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) responded to a 911 call on Kay Street. The apartment’s lessee reported hearing footsteps outside the window followed by gunfire. Upon arrival, law enforcement found the front window of the apartment riddled with bullet holes, and the victim dead in the kitchen from a single gunshot wound to the back.
Two months later, during a routine traffic stop of the defendant, law enforcement conducted a probable cause search due to the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. During the search, deputies located a firearm in Dates’ glove compartment, which was later confirmed to match the ballistic evidence collected from the crime scene.
Shortly thereafter, a witness came forward, sharing that he was in the apartment the night of the incident. The witness claimed that he was the intended target of the shooting, which appeared to stem from an ongoing dispute involving Date and his associates.
Further investigation revealed key evidence on Dates’ cell phone, which was seized during his arrest. The RCSD Technical Services Unit extracted data from the device, which helped confirm his involvement in the crime.
RCSD Sgt. Glenn Oxendine led the investigation. The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, represented by Assistant Solicitor Nick Fowler, prosecuted the case.