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South Carolina man gets life without parole for killing 5 while high on meth

On Friday, James Douglas Drayton, 28, was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to the October 2022 killings in Spartanburg County.
Drayton told investigators he was high on methamphetamine and hadn’t slept for four days when he killed everyone in the home where he was staying, and prosecutors did not present a motive.
Authorities say he had the gun used in the deaths, was driving one victim's car, and led police on a chase before being arrested the next day about 145 miles away in Burke County, Georgia.
Family members of the victims supported the plea and life sentence and told Drayton how he ruined many lives, while former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright said `they didn’t deserve what they got`.
The five victims were Thomas Wayne Ellis Anderson, 37; James Derrick Baldwin, 49; Mark Allan Hewitt, 59; Adam Daniel Morley, 32; and Roman Christean Megael Rocha, 19, and the killings occurred inside a home described as frequented by drug users.

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South Carolina man who killed 5 while high on meth learns fate

A man who authorities said was high on methamphetamine and hadn’t slept for days when he killed five people inside a home frequented by drug users was sentenced to life without parole Friday after pleading guilty to their murders.

21 hours ago·New York, United States

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