In the late afternoon of March 4, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina, the life of 23-year-old Patrick Moffly was tragically cut short. A student at Trident Technical College and the College of Charleston, Moffly was known for his outgoing and friendly nature. That afternoon, however, a violent altercation erupted at his residence at 97 Smith Street. When police officers arrived around 4 p.m., they were met at the door by another man who urged them inside.
They found Moffly on the floor, suffering from a single gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to the Medical University Hospital, but he did not survive his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting quickly revealed it was not a random act of violence. Authorities determined that the incident was connected to a narcotics transaction. Investigators believe that the suspects had gone to Moffly's home to obtain drugs. During this transaction, an argument broke out, which escalated to the fatal shooting. The sidewalk in front of the residence was reportedly littered with Xanax pills when police first arrived. Even as he was bleeding, Moffly was able to tell authorities he had been robbed and shot by one man, though another person had been present. A friend who was at the home at the time later shared that among Moffly's last words was a request to tell his family he was sorry for leaving them.
The investigation led to the identification and arrest of two suspects. The first, Charles Edward Mungin III, then 21 years old, was taken into custody on March 17, 2016, just a couple of weeks after the homicide. He was charged with murder. The second suspect, John Glover, who was 22 at the time, was arrested in February of the following year and also faced a murder charge. The case against the two men revealed their involvement in a broader drug distribution network that police were already investigating, which implicated several students at the College of Charleston and various fraternities being used for narcotics distribution.
In September 2019, Charles Mungin faced a jury for his role in Patrick Moffly's death. After a four-day trial, he was found guilty of both murder and armed robbery. For the murder conviction, he received a sentence of life in prison, with an additional 30 years for the armed robbery. John Glover chose a different legal path, pleading guilty in December 2019 to two counts of heroin distribution and one count of being an accessory to murder after the fact, along with other charges for distributing marijuana and Alprazolam. He was initially given a 15-year sentence, which was later reduced to seven years in prison to be followed by five years of probation.
