Man sentenced to life in Kershaw County drive-by shooting
April 28, 2026
A Kershaw County jury convicted Troy Eugene Keitt Jr. of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime on April 22. The Honorable Chris Taylor sentenced Keitt to life plus 65 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Keitt and three accomplices followed the victims’ car down Watts Hill Road on Highway 1 the night of July 17, 2022. Keitt’s vehicle pulled alongside the victims’ car, and Keitt fired multiple rounds into it in an unprovoked attack. One round struck 17-year-old Justice Rutherford in the neck, killing him shortly thereafter, while another juvenile was injured in the ambush.
A witness testified that Keitt and the other accomplices continued down Highway 1 for some distance before returning to the scene. The witness said they realized they had “hit someone” as they neared the scene and chose to flee rather than fire on the victims again.
Witness testimony and forensic evidence showed that Keitt and his accomplices attempted to hide or destroy evidence the next day.
Assistant Solicitor Michael Bradbury and Deputy Solicitor Curtis Pauling of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, assisted by Investigator Chris Davis, prosecuted the case. Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Miles Taylor led the investigation.