In the quiet community of Inman, South Carolina, a tragic event unfolded on the evening of October 9, 2022, resulting in the death of 19-year-old Roman Christean Megael Rocha and four other men. Responding to a death call at a residence on Bobo Drive, Spartanburg County Sheriff's deputies discovered a grim scene with four individuals already deceased from gunshot wounds.
Rocha, who was staying at the home, was found critically injured and transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries during surgery.
The investigation quickly identified a suspect, James Douglas Drayton, then 24 years old, who had been residing at the house for about two weeks prior to the incident. Drayton fled the scene in a vehicle belonging to a family member of one of the victims. His flight from the law was short-lived. The day after the murders, law enforcement in Burke County, Georgia, apprehended Drayton following an attempted armed robbery and kidnapping. During the subsequent interrogation by investigators from the Spartanburg Sheriff's Office, Drayton provided a full confession to the murders of the five individuals in Inman. He reportedly told investigators that he had been under the influence of methamphetamine for four consecutive days leading up to the killings.
Following his confession, Drayton was charged with multiple counts of homicide and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The case, described as the largest single murder in Spartanburg County's history, prompted the Seventh Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office to announce in August 2024 that they would be seeking the death penalty against Drayton. Authorities revealed that Drayton was known to the victims, all of whom were also reported to be drug users. The other victims were identified as Thomas Ellis Anderson, 37; Adam Daniel Morley, 32; Mark Allen Hewitt, 59; and James Derek Baldwin, 49.
