In a case of tragic mistaken identity, Brandon 'Jugg Money' Willingham, a 20-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on June 7, 2014, in Anderson, South Carolina. Willingham, an aspiring rapper, was with a group of people at the intersection of Hall and Oliver streets when he was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting. Another individual, Rashun Cowan, was also shot multiple times but survived.
The investigation revealed the shooting was an act of retaliation. Royres Patterson, 26 at the time, was seeking revenge for the shooting of his brother, Anthony Patterson, which had occurred just hours earlier. Investigators believe Patterson mistook Willingham for the person who had shot his brother. Witnesses who were in the car with Patterson testified that they thought they were going to buy marijuana and were unaware that a shooting was about to take place.
Royres Patterson was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. His uncle, Terrance Mandrell West, who was driving the vehicle, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. During the trial, Patterson was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was subsequently sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison.
