In the late hours of a summer evening in Andrews, South Carolina, a long-standing feud between two neighborhoods culminated in the tragic death of 22-year-old Antonio Tisdale. On August 13, 2008, Tisdale was fatally shot in the chest near the corner of Farr and Main streets. Another man, Al Ingram, was also wounded in the incident but survived. Tisdale was rushed to Georgetown Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour after the shooting.
An autopsy later confirmed that a single gunshot wound to the chest was the cause of death.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to Dominic Leggette as the primary suspect. Eyewitnesses at the scene identified Leggette as the shooter. Investigators believed the shooting was connected to an ongoing dispute and that Leggette had gang affiliations. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was subsequently charged with murder for the death of Tisdale and assault and battery with intent to kill for the injuries sustained by Ingram.
In March 2010, the murder trial of Dominic Leggette commenced. The prosecution argued that the shooting was a deliberate act of violence, describing it as a 'coming-of-age ritual' for Leggette. They contended that he was celebrating an assertion of power. In contrast, Leggette's defense attorney argued that his client acted in self-defense. The defense claimed that on the night of the shooting, Leggette was harassed and then pursued by Tisdale and Ingram, leading him to fear for his life and use his weapon in self-protection.
After more than 12 hours of deliberation, the Georgetown County jury reached a verdict in April 2010. They found Dominic Leggette not guilty of murder but convicted him of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Antonio Tisdale. He was also found guilty of assault and battery with intent to kill for the shooting of Al Ingram. A circuit judge sentenced Leggette to 30 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction and a concurrent 10-year sentence for the assault charge. Years later, in August 2023, Leggette's appeal for post-conviction relief, in which he argued that his trial counsel was ineffective, was denied.
