In the quiet community of Anderson, South Carolina, the life of James 'Buggie' Jesse Banks III, a 49-year-old Black male, was abruptly cut short on the evening of February 3, 2020. Emergency responders were called to a distressing scene on Evergreen Street, where they discovered Banks in the front yard of a residence, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Anderson County Coroner's Office quickly ruled his death a homicide, initiating a thorough investigation into the tragic event.
The investigation into the death of James Banks, who was just two days shy of his 50th birthday, swiftly led to an arrest. Authorities charged 50-year-old Darren Demetrius Martin of Anderson with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. According to the arrest warrant, the shooting occurred at Martin's home on Evergreen Street. During an interview with law enforcement, Martin admitted to shooting Banks.
The incident left the community in shock and Banks's family and friends mourning the sudden and violent loss of a man they remembered fondly. Born in Jamaica, New York, on February 5, 1970, Banks was a resident of Anderson at the time of his passing. The case proceeded through the legal system, with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office and the Coroner's Office continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter on that February night.
