In the quiet community of Bishopville, South Carolina, the life of 27-year-old Tyrone Dinkins, a male known to many as 'Good Buddy,' was violently cut short on the night of November 17, 2004. Dinkins was discovered outside his Cadillac, having sustained eight gunshot wounds to his head and body. Inside the vehicle, another man, 54-year-old Joseph 'Bud' Reames, was also found deceased, a victim of the same brutal attack.
The initial investigation suggested that the motive for the killings was robbery.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to three individuals from Bishopville: Sharod Frazier, Lequint Johnson, and Sammy Baker. A critical piece of evidence that helped detectives piece together the events of that fatal night came from cell phone records. It was discovered that Sammy Baker had placed a call to Dinkins shortly before the murders, allegedly to arrange a meeting. This breakthrough in the case led to the arrests of all three men, who were already in custody for other unrelated offenses.
In October 2007, Sharod Frazier and Lequint Johnson stood trial for the murders of Tyrone Dinkins and Joseph Reames. A Lee County jury found both men guilty. Sammy Baker, who was also charged in connection with the slayings, testified against Frazier and Johnson. Following their conviction, the judge handed down severe sentences. Both Frazier and Johnson received two consecutive life sentences for the murders. In addition to the life terms, they were each sentenced to thirty years for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and five years for armed robbery. Frazier received an additional five-year sentence for conspiracy, bringing a measure of closure to the families of the victims and the community.
