Brandon Willingham

Brandon Willingham, known to many by his rap moniker “Jugg Money,” was a creative and lovable 20-year-old with a promising future. A graduate of T.L. Hanna High School in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina, Brandon was an aspiring rap artist building a career with Jugg Money Entertainment. His family remembered him as an up-and-coming talent who had just signed a record deal before his life was cut short. The young Black man was known for his loveable personality and was deeply mourned by his family, friends, and a growing fanbase.

On the evening of June 7, 2014, Brandon was with a group of people near the intersection of Hall and Oliver streets in Anderson’s Homeland Park neighborhood. Suddenly, a car approached and shots were fired in a drive-by attack. Brandon was struck by a single, devastating bullet that entered his right side, grazed his arm, and caused catastrophic internal injuries. Another man, Rashun Cowan, was shot four times, sustaining fractures to his shoulder and leg, along with other wounds. Friends rushed Brandon to AnMed Health Medical Center, but the damage was too severe. He was pronounced dead at approximately 9:45 p.m. A forensic pathologist later testified the shot would have likely been fatal even if paramedics had been present at the scene, describing it as a "one in a million" shot if it was random.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation, led by Detective Danny Barton. The case was a difficult one, but a major break came when Brandon’s father provided the first name of a potential witness: David. This tip eventually led investigators to David Bennett, who had been in the backseat of the shooter's car and had since fled to New York out of fear of retaliation. Detectives traveled to New York to interview Bennett, whose testimony would prove crucial.

The investigation revealed the shooting was a tragic act of mistaken identity rooted in a cycle of street violence. Just hours earlier, Anthony Patterson had been shot and injured. His brother, 28-year-old Royres Patterson, set out seeking revenge. Prosecutors said Patterson mistook Brandon Willingham for the man who had shot his brother due to a strong resemblance. The driver of the car that night was Patterson's uncle, Terrance Mandrell West. According to testimony from Bennett and West, they believed they were going to the neighborhood to buy marijuana and were unaware of Patterson's violent intentions. After the shooting, Patterson allegedly turned on the car’s interior light and warned the others, "Y'all didn't see nothing, y'all don't know nothing."

Royres Patterson was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. His uncle, Terrance West, was initially charged with accessory after the fact to murder. The murder weapon was never recovered, and no fingerprints belonging to Patterson were found on West’s 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage. The prosecution's case relied heavily on the testimony of the two eyewitnesses who were in the car with him.

In April 2016, a jury found Royres Patterson guilty on all counts. A judge sentenced him to 30 years for the murder of Brandon Willingham and a consecutive five years for the weapons charge. He also received a 20-year sentence for the attempted murder of Rashun Cowan, to be served concurrently, for a total of 35 years in prison. Following the verdict, State Solicitor Chrissy Adams stated, "'Street 'justice' is not justice and must be dealt with in a court of law."

Terrance West pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misprision, for concealing knowledge of a crime, in exchange for his testimony. The case against Royres Patterson was officially closed with his conviction, bringing a measure of legal resolution to the senseless killing of a young artist who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.