Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Man sentenced to 18 years in shooting death

BEAUFORT - A Yemassee man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of killing his teenage stepson.

The Beaufort Gazette reported a Beaufort County jury Thursday convicted Kevin Jerome Williams, 43, of voluntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Williams shot 18-year-old Rodney Young in the thigh with a shotgun during an argument July 9, 2007. Young died about two hours later at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Williams apologized to his former common-law wife and those affected by the killing before being sentenced by Circuit Judge J. Ernest Kinard.

Williams testified he knew Young had a gun during the argument, though he didn't see it. Investigators never found the gun.

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