In the quiet town of Harleyville, South Carolina, a long-standing friendship of two decades came to a tragic and violent end, leaving one man dead and another condemned to spend the remainder of his days behind bars. Charles Jacob 'CJ' Young, an 82-year-old man, was killed in his own home, a place he had generously shared with a man he considered a son.
The fatal incident unfolded after simmering tensions over an eviction notice finally boiled over.
For twenty years, Charles Young had allowed Nathan Wesley Zeigler, 64, to live in his Dorchester County house rent-free. Young had moved to New York, where he ran a successful furniture upholstery business, and entrusted his home to Zeigler. Friends and family said Young was a vibrant man who loved to travel the world and meet new people, often hosting international guests in his New York City home. He was an entrepreneur at heart and poured his passion into his business. When he retired, he returned to his home on Johnson Road and Honeysuckle Road in Harleyville.
Upon his return, the dynamic between the two men soured, leading to domestic disputes that required police intervention. The situation escalated to the point where Young served Zeigler with an eviction notice. On the day of the fatal shooting, Dorchester County deputies were called to the residence. They found Young in his kitchen, deceased from a gunshot wound to his neck.
Nathan Wesley Zeigler was taken into custody following the shooting. During his trial, Zeigler admitted to shooting Young but made the claim that he acted in self-defense. However, the prosecution painted a different picture, one of a senseless murder. Investigators discovered the weapon used in the killing hidden inside a grill. After nearly four hours of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Zeigler was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his longtime friend and benefactor. He was also convicted of possession of a firearm during a crime.
