In the quiet community of Ridgeland, South Carolina, a dispute between acquaintances on a February night in 2017 ended in the tragic death of 33-year-old Lamar Heyward. The Black or African American man was at a mobile home on Westberry Street with four other individuals when an argument broke out between him and David Eric Hugue Jr.
The disagreement escalated, and the two men stepped outside, seemingly to engage in a physical fight.
However, almost immediately after they were outside, Hugue produced a weapon and shot Heyward. The single gunshot wound proved to be fatal. Heyward succumbed to his injury in the ambulance before he could reach the hospital on February 19, 2017. In the immediate aftermath, Hugue fled the scene, leaving behind a community to grapple with the sudden violence.
Investigators from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office quickly identified David Eric Hugue Jr. as the primary suspect. During questioning, Hugue attempted to create an elaborate alibi, claiming he was in Beaufort with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. However, diligent police work, including the analysis of cellphone records, placed Hugue near the crime scene. Further investigation revealed inconsistencies in his story; the restaurant he claimed to have visited had been demolished a decade earlier, and authorities could find no evidence of the girlfriend he mentioned. Witnesses also contradicted Hugue's claim that he did not know Heyward, stating that they were well-acquainted and possibly related.
In October 2019, David Eric Hugue Jr. stood trial for the murder of Lamar Heyward. Over three days, the prosecution presented a compelling case with testimony from 18 witnesses. Despite Hugue's continued denials, the evidence against him was overwhelming. The jury, composed of six men and six women, found Hugue guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder and an additional five years for the weapons charge, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
