Brandon Mitchell Edinger was a 21-year-old White male known for being a loyal, kind, and funny person with an old soul. To his family, he was the best big brother anyone could ask for. He worked in construction and as a jujitsu coach in South Carolina, saving money to start his life. His sister, Tori, described him as her only sibling.
On the night of November 2, 2021, police in Greenville, South Carolina, responded to a call about a firearm discharge at the Park at Sorrento Apartments
on Halton Road. Inside an apartment, they found Brandon Edinger with a serious gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries. The coroner later confirmed that Edinger died from the gunshot wound and ruled his death a homicide.
At the apartment complex, police detained Edinger’s roommate, Thomas Deane Jenkins. According to police warrants, Jenkins later confessed to the shooting. He was arrested and initially charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Jenkins was held at the Greenville County Detention Center without bond.
The case took a significant turn as it moved through the legal system. The murder charge against Jenkins was reduced, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. During the court proceedings, Jenkins’ family stated that he struggled with anxiety and PTSD. His father recalled that as early as the seventh grade, his son was convinced someone was going to break into their home. Jenkins addressed the court himself, stating, "No matter what sense is given to me I am and always will be honestly wholly and sincerely sorry."
The judge sentenced Jenkins to five years in jail, which was suspended, followed by three years of home detention and five years of probation. The sentence was a source of profound anguish for Edinger’s family. His mother, Lisa Edinger, expressed her disbelief, saying, "He shot him in the face looking at him. How can this be involuntary manslaughter? We feel this is nothing short of an execution. This is a never-ending nightmare." His sister added that their family would never be the same and that her brother "didn't deserve this."
The case was closed following the guilty plea and sentencing in November 2022.
