Man sentenced to 25 years for fatal beating of roommate
October 21, 2026
Raymond Jolly, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Oct. 20 in connection with a November 2024 beating that left his roommate dead. The Honorable Will Wheeler sentenced Jolly to 25 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections facility.
On Nov. 23, 2024, Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) deputies responded to a complaint about a man acting erratically and causing several disturbances in Olympia Mill Village. A witness identified the suspect as Jolly and directed deputies to his home, where he lived with his roommate, Joey Roberts.
When deputies arrived, they knocked on the door and windows but received no answer, though they heard noises inside. Looking through a window, deputies saw Roberts lying on his back and covered in blood. They called Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and EMS personnel transported Roberts to the hospital.
After deputies located Jolly in the backyard of an Olympia Village home, he fled, jumping fences and running through backyards. Deputies detained him after he jumped off a shed roof and injured himself. They found Roberts’ blood on Jolly’s clothing.
Roberts later succumbed to injuries sustained from blunt-force trauma to the head.
Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office Senior Assistant Solicitor Dale Scott led the prosecution.