Columbia man sentenced to 40 years after fatal robbery attempt
February 12, 2026
Johnny Fletcher Jr. pleaded guilty on Feb. 10 to murder for the death of 32-year-old Nicholas Bonepart. The Honorable Christopher D. Taylor sentenced him to 40 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
On Aug. 5, 2023, the Columbia Police Department responded to a shots-fired call on Waverly Street. Officers found Bonepart unresponsive in the driver’s seat of his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders pronounced Bonepart dead at the scene.
Witnesses said Fletcher attempted to rob Bonepart and demanded that he empty his pockets. When Bonepart tried to flee in his vehicle, Fletcher fired into the car. The gunfire struck Bonepart at least five times.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. Assistant Solicitor Samuel McGlothin led the prosecution.