Irmo man convicted of murdering 25-year-old woman who was shot in the head

In the first jury trial in Lexington County since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Irmo man was convicted of murder, the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said Tuesday.

Joseph Randolph Henry, 30, was sentenced to 40 years in prison without parole Monday — 35 years for the murder charge, and 5 years on a possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime conviction, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.

On Feb. 21, 2019, Henry was sitting in the backseat of a moving vehicle when he shot 25-year-old Alexis Azarigian in the head, according to the release.

During the trial, the driver of the vehicle and another female passenger testified Azarigian, who was sitting in the front passenger seat and facing forward, was arguing with Henry when he pulled out a gun and shot her, the solicitor’s office said.

The driver stopped at Fellowship Baptist Church to call 911, and Henry left the scene after saying, “You know who I am, you know what I do, and I do what I say,” according to the release.

Azarigian was transported to a local trauma center and died the next day as a result of the gunshot wound to her brain, the solicitor’s office said.

Witnesses told Lexington County sheriff’s deputies that Henry, aka Pluto, might be driving a small blue Toyota, and within 30 minutes Henry was arrested approximately 400 yards away at the intersection of Augusta Road and Cardinal Drive while behind the wheel of the Toyota, according to the release.

A 9 mm Hi Point pistol was found in a search of the car, and forensic swabs from the trigger were consistent with Henry’s DNA, the solicitor’s office said.

“We appreciate the efforts of Sheriff Jay Koon and the entire sheriff’s department in apprehending the suspect quickly,” Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes said in the release. “Each officer worked diligently to carry out their commitment to protect the public and see Alexis’ killer brought to justice.”

Azarigian attended Chapin High School, graduated from Newberry Academy, and worked as a trainer at Gold’s Gym, the solicitor’s office said. She was an organ donor and helped recipients in need of transplants, according to the release.

“It was so easy to fall in love with Alexis. Her smile, her beautiful eyes, her infectious laugh and her very large loving heart,” her mother, Vicki Azarigian, said in court. “Her life was brutally ripped away from her. Her dreams, her goals, her successes, her path in life destroyed by an act that was so callous, heartless, and full of intention by this person to kill her.”

Mayes and Senior Assistant Solicitor Angela Garrick Martin prosecuted this case.

When jury selection began on Sept. 28, Lexington County Clerk of Court Lisa M. Comer utilized multiple measures, including the use of partitions and face masks, to ensure the safety of jurors and participants during the trial and to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the solicitor’s office said.

This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 3:17 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription