James Derek Baldwin, a 49-year-old male, was tragically killed on October 9, 2022, in a mass shooting that claimed the lives of four other men in Inman, South Carolina. The violent episode unfolded at a residence on Bobo Drive, a place known to law enforcement as a site for drug activity. The other victims were identified as Adam Daniel Morley, 32, Mark Allen Hewitt, 59, Roman Christean Megael Rocha, 19, and Thomas Ellis Anderson, 37.
Baldwin, along with some of the other victims, had been staying at the house.
The investigation quickly led authorities to a suspect, 24-year-old James Douglas Drayton, who had also been living at the Inman residence. The day after the killings, Drayton was apprehended in Burke County, Georgia. His capture came after he committed an armed robbery and kidnapping at a gas station and then led police on a chase in a stolen vehicle belonging to one of the victim's mothers. Following his arrest, Drayton confessed to the quintuple homicide in South Carolina. He informed investigators that he had been using methamphetamines for four days without sleep and was hearing voices at the time of the shootings. The weapon believed to have been used in the murders was recovered from the vehicle he was driving.
In March 2023, James Douglas Drayton pleaded guilty to the charges against him in Georgia, which included armed robbery, kidnapping, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for these offenses. Following his conviction in Georgia, the legal process for the South Carolina murders began to move forward. Drayton was charged with five counts of murder and five counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
In August 2024, the solicitor for South Carolina's Seventh Judicial Circuit announced the state's intention to seek the death penalty against Drayton for the five murders. This marked a significant development in the case, signaling the gravity of the charges and the potential for a capital trial. As of late 2025, a trial date for the murder charges in South Carolina has not yet been publicly set as legal proceedings continue.
