South Carolina Man Charged with Murder of 25-Year-Old Shooting Victim and More Crimes

Weeks after a man in South Carolina was arrested for disposing of a 25-year-old shooting victim’s body, he now faces additional charges, including murder, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Jesse Lou Gregory, a 34-year-old resident of Leesville, was charged with grand larceny, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and circumventing an electronic monitoring device, the department announced on Wednesday.

Previously, on November 12, Gregory was charged with desecration of human remains, driving under suspension, failure to stop for blue lights, resisting arrest, and a drug charge. At that time, he was considered a person of interest in the homicide investigation. The charges stem from the discovery of a body on November 12 at the corner of Old Barnwell Road and White Knoll Way. Gregory was arrested the following day for discarding the shooting victim’s body.

According to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, Gregory is accused of shooting Nicholas Kenneth Hendrix with a shotgun. Hendrix’s body was found in the 1500 block of Old Barnwell Road and pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported. Gregory’s account of the incident is inconsistent with the evidence collected from the car and the injuries sustained by Hendrix.

The motive for the shooting remains unknown. However, it was revealed that Gregory had stolen a car the day before the shooting, leading to the grand larceny charge. He was apprehended in Aiken County with the stolen vehicle. Additionally, Gregory failed to charge a GPS electronic ankle monitoring device he was required to wear as a condition of his bond from a previous charge.

Court records indicate that Gregory has a history of arrests in Lexington County over the past 15 years, including a previous domestic violence charge in February 2023. He pleaded guilty to a third-degree domestic violence charge.

Gregory is currently being held without bond at the Lexington County Detention Center. The investigation into the murder and other charges is ongoing.