Columbia Man Convicted of Shooting Death
December 27, 2023
Jerod Goodwin, 22, of Columbia, was convicted of Murder, Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime, and Use of Vehicle without Permission by a Richland County jury on Thursday, December 22, 2023 for shooting and killing Genesis Williams before taking his car. The Honorable Jocelyn Newman presided over the trial and sentenced Goodwin to thirty (30) years in prison.
Goodwin and Williams began their night driving to various clubs and, at one point, stopped to pick up a friend of Williams. The three of them eventually went to Goodwin’s mother’s house in the early morning hours of August 15, 2021. Upon arrival, per Goodwin’s testimony, he went into his mother’s house, changed clothes, and armed himself with a stolen pistol. Goodwin testified that he and Williams got into a verbal and physical altercation at the house. Williams and his friend decided to leave and head home when Goodwin, still armed with the stolen pistol, got into the back seat of the car. On the ride from Greene Street to a home off Garners Ferry Road, Williams and Goodwin again began to argue. After refusing to leave the vehicle, Goodwin pulled out the stolen pistol and shot Williams three times before leaving the scene in Williams’ car. Williams died a short time later at a local hospital. One hundred and seven days later, Goodwin was found in Lexington County and arrested with the murder weapon still in his possession.
Lt. Stephen Dauway and Sgt. Taima Jordan of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Solicitor Dale Scott, Assistant Solicitor Nick Fowler, and Assistant Solicitor Samuel McGlothin of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.