In a tragic series of events that unfolded in Hartsville, South Carolina, 39-year-old Dominic Alton Midgett, a male, lost his life on September 5, 2017. His body was discovered inside a mobile home on Persimmons Drive that had been intentionally set on fire. The investigation into the blaze quickly turned into a homicide investigation when it was determined that Midgett had been shot prior to the fire.
Authorities moved swiftly, and their investigation led to the arrests of three
individuals. Ky'Ron Earl Jamal Peterson, who was 22 at the time, and 17-year-old Darius Cedric Gibson, both from Hartsville, were taken into custody. Investigators alleged that the pair had shot Midgett and then attempted to conceal the crime by setting the mobile home ablaze. A third individual, identified as Wright, was also arrested for allegedly assisting Peterson and Gibson in the murder.
The legal process saw both of the primary suspects facing serious charges, including murder and arson. As the case progressed through the court system, both Peterson and Gibson entered into plea agreements. Peterson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and third-degree arson. He received a 20-year sentence for the manslaughter charge and a concurrent 10-year sentence for arson. Gibson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misprision of a felony, admitting that he had lied to investigators about his involvement in the crime. He was sentenced under the youthful offender act to a suspended sentence of two years.
