CONWAY, S.C. — The end of one teen's life means another will spend decades in a South Carolina prison following a recent guilty plea.
The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office said 16-year-old Damian Rodriguez of Conway, who was prosecuted as an adult, admitted on Wednesday to the killing of 14-year-old Christopher Noah Garrett. Authorities said Rodriguez shot and killed Garrett on Aug. 13, 2022.
Assistant Solicitor Adam Harrelson offered his condolences to Garrett's family.
"It's unfortunate that he was taken away from them at such a young age," Harrelson said, calling the death a "senseless murder."
For his crime, Rodriguez will spend 35 years in prison and will not be eligible for parole. Judge Benjamin Culbertson presided over the case.
