Inman, SC – Mark Allen Hewitt, a 59-year-old male, was killed on October 9, 2022, in a mass shooting at a residence on Bobo Drive. Hewitt was one of five individuals who lost their lives in the incident, which stands as the largest single murder event in the history of Spartanburg County. The other victims were identified as Thomas Ellis Anderson, 37, Adam Daniel Morley, 32, Roman Christean Megael Rocha, 19, and James Derek Baldwin, 49.
Authorities responding to a 911 call around 7:46
p.m. discovered a horrific scene inside the home. Four of the victims, including Hewitt, were found deceased in different rooms, having sustained gunshot wounds. Rocha was found alive but later succumbed to his injuries during surgery at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Investigators believe the shootings occurred earlier in the day, around 9 a.m.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 24-year-old James Douglas Drayton. It was determined that Drayton had been staying at the Bobo Drive home for about two weeks prior to the killings. Drayton fled the scene and was apprehended two days later in Burke County, Georgia, following an armed robbery at a gas station. He was driving a vehicle that belonged to the mother of one of the victims.
During questioning by authorities, Drayton confessed to the five murders. He reportedly told investigators that he had been using methamphetamines for four consecutive days and was hearing voices at the time of the killings. Drayton was able to provide specific details about the crime scene that corroborated his confession. Prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty against Drayton, who faces five counts of murder and five counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
