In the fall of 2020, the community of Lake City, South Carolina, was shaken by the tragic death of Donald Christopher 'Chris' Yarborough. A 49-year-old White male, Yarborough was a loving father and a beloved son, known affectionately as 'Chris' to his friends and family. Born on September 26, 1971, in Georgetown, SC, he was a graduate of Pleasant Hill High School and worked as a Superintendent for the Gregory Electrical Company.
His passions included hunting, fishing, drawing, painting, and restoring antique Ford Mustang cars, but his greatest joy was spending time with his loved ones.
The circumstances of his death on October 30, 2020, were particularly devastating as the perpetrator was his own son, 21-year-old Mason Christopher Yarborough. The fatal incident occurred in the garage of their Lake City home following a verbal altercation between Mason and his girlfriend. During the dispute, Mason used a rifle to shoot his father. After the shooting, Mason fled the scene on foot but was apprehended by the Florence County Sheriff's Office shortly thereafter.
Mason Yarborough was subsequently charged with the murder of his father. The case proceeded to trial, prosecuted by the 12th Circuit Assistant Solicitor J. Ryan White. The prosecution highlighted the senseless nature of the crime and the profound loss suffered by the family and the community. The trial brought to light the tragic details of the domestic dispute that escalated to a fatal confrontation.
On April 22, 2023, a Florence County jury found Mason Yarborough guilty of murder. Presiding 12th Circuit Court Judge D. Craig Brown sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. For the family, the verdict and sentencing brought a measure of justice, though it could not erase the pain of their dual loss. Chris's sister, Jessica Yarborough, expressed the family's complex emotions of grieving for both their beloved brother and their nephew.
