Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009

2 men being held in jail now face murder charges

Two men already being held at the Lexington County Detention Center are now facing murder charges in an unrelated case, the Lexington County Sheriff's Department said.

Phillip Harold Jackson, 22, and D'Marqus Laquen Thomas, 20, both of Gaston, were served with warrants Friday in the Nov. 1 shooting death of James Wilbur Lybrand, III, 20, the report said.

According to the sheriff's department, Lybrand was walking in the 600 block of Old Wire Road near West Columbia when two suspects asked him to approach their car, where he was shot.

The suspects did not know the victim, according to the department, adding Lybrand was picked at random.

The killing was not related to drug activity or gang activity, the report said.

Jackson and Thomas previously were denied bail on charges of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in the unrelated case, officials said.

Murder charges are pending against two others in connection with Lybrand's killing, the department said Friday.

- Staff Reports

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