Midlands man charged with murder and arson, Lexington County sheriff says
A West Columbia man will be charged with murder and other crimes following a shooting, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Monday.
Mark Anthony Festus Scheibler, 46, is accused of fatally shooting another man before setting a camper on fire, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
The shooting happened Nov. 27 outside a home on Mac Circle, the sheriff’s department said. That’s near Old Barnwell Road, about a mile from White Knoll Elementary School.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said Jimmy Ferney Johnson Jr., 46, was the shooting victim, according to the sheriff’s department.
About the same time Johnson was shot, a camper near the home caught fire, according to the release.
“Based on evidence investigators collected and interviews detectives conducted with witnesses, Scheibler fatally shot Jimmy Ferney Johnson at Mr. Johnson’s home on Mac Circle about 7 a.m. Nov. 27,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release. “Ferney also set fire to Mr. Johnson’s camper that was near his home.”
No other injuries caused by the shooting or the fire were reported by the sheriff’s department.
There was no word on a motive for the shooting or the fire.
Scheibler is currently being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County on charges of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime stemming from another incident, jail records show. He was booked at the detention center on Dec. 2, according to jail records.
Deputies said they expect Scheibler to be formally charged with murder, arson and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in Lexington County later this week.
A series of community tips helped detectives identify Scheibler as a suspect in the case, according to Koon.
“At the outset of our investigation, we had very little information to go on,” Koon said. “We’re thankful to those in our community who stepped up with anonymous tips. Those proved to be very helpful to us.”
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This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 12:32 PM.
