Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
One man is dead and another is in jail after an early morning altercation in Denmark.
Juston Erving, 33, died on Sunday, August 4, 2024 as a result of multiple gunshots.
The S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Aubrey Priester Jr., 42, of 61 Azalea Street, Barnwell, on the same day. Priester was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The altercation took place around 3:30 a.m. at a Sato Avenue residence within the Denmark city limits in Bamberg County.
According to an affidavit provided by SLED, Erving, the victim, “produced a firearm and began firing at a trailer.”
Through witness statements, investigators were able to determine Priester then shot Erving, causing him to fall to the ground.
“While the victim was on the ground, incapacitated, the defendant approached the victim and repeatedly shot him in the upper torso and head,” states the affidavit.
Priester was booked into the Bamberg County Detention Center. The case will be prosecuted by the 2nd Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
