In March 2021, 48-year-old Rufus E. Carmichael was killed after a family dispute that escalated into violence. The day before his death he had a heated argument with his brother, Charles Jason Carmichael. On the morning of March 13, 2021, Charles rented a U-Haul, went to Rufus’s home in West Columbia and kidnapped him at gunpoint. Charles then drove Rufus to his own residence on Koon Road and shot him. Rufus’s body was later found in a field in Batesburg.

The same day, Rufus’s partner, Ashli G. Haigler, went to Charles’s home with her 5-year-old son looking for Rufus after she could not reach him. Charles lured her to a dead-end road and shot her twice; her son was unharmed and knocked on neighbors’ doors to get help. Residents who found the distressed child led police to the U-Haul, which contained blood-soaked towels and the murder weapon; Charles was arrested in the vehicle.

A Richland County jury later convicted Charles Jason Carmichael of two counts of murder and related weapons charges and he was sentenced to life in prison. Witnesses testified about prior threats and that Charles planned the killings the night before. If anyone knew Rufus or has information about events leading up to March 13, 2021, please come forward.