Man arrested, faces murder charges in 2025 Columbia shooting death, police say

A man accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance in Columbia last year was arrested Thursday, the Columbia Police Department announced Friday.

Xavier Barnes, 23, was arrested by the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to a news release.

Authories said Barnes shot and killed Maurice Green, 29, at a Columbia College Drive home July 14, 2025. He is also accused of disposing Green’s body in Orangeburg County, according to the release.

Green’s family members reported him missing a few days after he was killed, the release says. The 29-year-old’s remains were found in a rural part of Branchville. The Richland County Coroner’s Office confirmed the remains belonged to Green.

Motives for the shooting are under investigation and additional charges and arrests are possible, according to the release.

Barnes is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release. He had been out on bond for a 2019 murder investigation in Beaufort County, the release says.