Car Pulled from Wateree River Connected to 2022 Deadly Shooting in Richland County
RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA – Years after the killing of a well-known Eastover man, deputies say they’ve located his missing vehicle in the Wateree River, tying it back to the deadly 2022 shooting.
Chevy Impala Recovered
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that a Chevrolet Impala was pulled from the Wateree River on Monday. Authorities verified that the car was the same vehicle stolen from Lewis Jenerette, who was shot and killed in January 2022.
Deputies did not say how the car was found or exactly where in the river it was recovered. Nor did they release details on when it may have been dumped.
Background: The Murder of Lewis Jenerette
On January 10, 2022, deputies conducting a wellness check discovered Jenerette’s body in a pool of blood at his home on Hickory Hill Road in Eastover, near U.S. 601/McCord’s Ferry Road. The Richland County Coroner’s Office said he had been shot twice in the chest and once in the leg.
Sheriff Leon Lott later announced that Jadon Harper, then 18 years old, was arrested and charged with murder. Harper was also charged with first-degree burglary and use of a vehicle without permission. He was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and remains held there without bond.
Ongoing Investigation
When Harper was arrested in March 2022, Lott stressed that investigators believed other suspects might have been involved. However, no additional arrests have been reported since then.
Harper already had pending charges before Jenerette’s death. Court records show that on December 30, 2021, he was arrested for first-degree burglary and grand larceny. He posted $15,000 bond on January 4, just days before the fatal shooting.
Remembering the Victim
At a news conference in 2022, community advocate Bernice Scott, speaking on behalf of Jenerette’s family, described him as someone loved and respected.
“He was so kind and always smiling,” Scott said. She added that Jenerette would likely have given money to his attackers rather than resist.
Do you think investigators should reopen inquiries into potential additional suspects in the Jenerette case? Share your views with us at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
