SC Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Ex-Girlfriend and Her Grandmother in Richland County
RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA – A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend and her grandmother during a violent 2020 shooting inside their Hopkins-area home.
Conviction and Sentencing
On September 11, a Richland County jury found Dontrell Rufus guilty of two counts of murder and first-degree burglary. Judge Christopher Taylor sentenced him to three life sentences in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
The conviction stems from the April 20, 2020 killings of 28-year-old Kiara A. Richbow and her 76-year-old grandmother, Sarah Mae Richbow, according to the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
The Deadly Night
Prosecutors said Rufus showed up uninvited at Kiara Richbow’s home on South Partridge Circle while she was inside with their two daughters, her grandmother Sarah, and a niece.
Witnesses said Rufus’ cousin tried repeatedly to defuse the conflict, but Rufus forced his way inside, shooting Kiara twice and Sarah once. Both women later died from their injuries.
No one else inside the home was harmed.
Aftermath and Arrest
Following the shooting, Rufus fled the scene, abandoned his truck, and attempted to destroy evidence. Authorities launched a manhunt, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested him the following morning in the 4000 block of Broad River Road.
There was no clear motive revealed during the trial.
Prosecution Team
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Solicitor Dan Goldberg and Assistant Solicitors Gabbie Sharp and Nick Fowler of the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Megan Eigenbrot, a Columbia public defender, represented Rufus.
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