SC man was killed with a machete in 2020. Man convicted in his death got a life sentence

A South Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of killing a man with a machete in 2020, the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced.

Around 2:30 a.m. on July 8, 2020, deputies were called to a fight outside a mobile home on Horton Road in Burton. They saw Michael Eugene Goode swinging a machete toward the ground before dropping it and running after deputies asked him to put it down, according to previous reporting by The Island Packet in Hilton Head.

When deputies got closer to the scene, they found Rodney Watson, 66, of St. Marys, Georgia, lying on the ground, seriously wounded. Watson was taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he died shortly thereafter, law enforcement told the Packet at the time.

Goode already had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated assault and battery.

Following a three-day jury trial, Goode was convicted of murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was given a life sentence, and an additional five years in prison for the weapons charge, according to a news release. He will not be eligible for parole.

According to a news release, Watson was driving to a store with his niece when they saw Goode in the roadway and stopped to give him a ride. Goode began attacking the woman. When Watson tried to intervene, Goode attacked him with a machete. Watson had at least six stab wounds, mostly to the back, the solicitor’s office said. A blow to an artery in Watson’s left arm proved fatal, the office said.

Goode originally claimed he was elsewhere during the attack, according to a news release, but DNA evidence linked the clothes he was seen wearing to Watson and the 10-inch machete. Goode changed his story on the witness stand, and said he was afraid but ultimately did remember his actions.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.

“The victim in this case was simply trying to help someone who looked to be in distress, but instead was met with senseless brutality,” said Jared Shedd of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which prosecuted the case. “This defendant behaved unconscionably, and both the verdict and sentence are just.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2024 at 5:53 PM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.