On a late summer day in North Augusta, South Carolina, the life of 42-year-old Gary Pixley was brought to a violent end. On August 23, 2021, at a residence on Thurmond Street, Pixley was shot and killed. The initial report to North Augusta Public Safety officers was that of a home invasion, with the shooter claiming self-defense against an intruder.
However, the ensuing investigation would unravel a different story.
The man who pulled the trigger was 24-year-old Dallan Timothy Thorstenson. He alleged that he had shot Pixley in self-defense during a break-in. This claim, however, began to crumble as investigators delved deeper into the case. Witness statements from others present in the home at the time of the shooting provided conflicting evidence that did not support Thorstenson's account of an intruder. It was revealed that Pixley was known at the residence and had been a regular visitor.
As the investigation progressed, a clearer picture emerged, leading to Thorstenson's arrest on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The evidence gathered by law enforcement suggested that the shooting was not a case of self-defense but a deliberate act. The case moved through the legal system, culminating in a trial where the conflicting accounts were presented to a jury.
In December 2023, an Aiken County jury found Dallan Timothy Thorstenson guilty of the murder of Gary Pixley. Following the verdict, a judge sentenced him to 43 years in prison for the crime. The sentencing brought a measure of closure to the family and community shaken by the violent death of Gary Pixley, a man who was known to have previously worked at a local IHOP.
