Third suspect sentenced in Kershaw County shooting death of teen
July 30, 2026
On July 24, Deshon Jakeef Kirkland pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of attempted murder for his role in a drive-by shooting on Hwy 1 in Elgin that killed one person and injured another. The Honorable T.W. McGee sentenced Kirkland to 20 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
On July 17, 2022, Kirkland was a backseat passenger in a vehicle occupied by three accomplices and participated in a plan to follow the victims’ vehicle from Watts Hill Road onto Hwy 1. One of Kirkland’s accomplices fired multiple rounds into the victims’ vehicle in an unprovoked attack after the vehicles traveled alongside each other.
One round struck 17-year-old Justice Rutherford in the neck as he drove the vehicle. Rutherford died shortly afterward, bringing the vehicle to a stop in the middle of Hwy 1. A second juvenile was shot in the leg but survived, and a third occupant was not hit.
A witness testified that, after initially fleeing, Kirkland encouraged the driver to return to the scene so the shooter could fire at the vehicle a second time.
Kirkland’s conviction follows the trials of two other accomplices. On April 22, a Kershaw County jury convicted Troy Eugene Keitt Jr. of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The Honorable Chris Taylor sentenced Keitt to life for murder, 30 years for each attempted murder charge, and five years for the weapon charge.
On May 6, a Kershaw County jury convicted Ti’Yon Akeem Harriot of murder and two counts of attempted murder for driving the vehicle as the group pursued the victims. The Honorable McGee sentenced Harriot to life for murder and 30 years for each attempted murder charge.
Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office Assistant Solicitor Michael Bradbury prosecuted the case. Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Miles Taylor led the investigation.