ABBEVILLE, S.C.; August 28, 2024 – An Abbeville man is headed to prison after pleading guilty Wednesday morning to charges stemming from an incident in which he killed another man with a machete, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Wednesday.
Jaylon Thomas Elmore, 19, pleaded guilty Wednesday at the Abbeville County Courthouse to charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Circuit Judge Eugene Griffith then sentenced Elmore to 30 years in prison on the murder charge and five years in prison on the weapon possession charge, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Under South Carolina law, a sentence for murder must be served day-for-day with no eligibility for parole.
In July 2023, officers with Abbeville Police Department were dispatched to the home of 41-year-old Albert Moultrie after friends and family found Moultrie unresponsive in his home. Moultrie had a number of wounds caused by some type of large blade which investigators later identified as a machete owned by Elmore. APD contacted State Law Enforcement Division to assist in the investigation.
Through the course of the investigation, SLED agents identified Elmore as a suspect. After initially denying even being at Moultrie’s residence, Elmore admitted to killing Moultrie with the machete, but claimed he was defending himself after Moultrie pulled a gun on him. Agents could not locate a gun and Moultrie did not appear to own a firearm of any kind. Elmore eventually told investigators that he went to Moultrie’s home because he wanted to contact Moultrie’s sister but could not locate her. Elmore had become obsessed with Moultrie’s sister, leading Moultrie and others to tell Elmore to stay away from her and to stop contacting her.
Deputy Solicitor Micah Black prosecuted the case for the state with the assistance of 8th Circuit Investigator Chris Wilkie and 8th Circuit Victim Advocate Sarah Parris. Elmore was represented by Jane Merrill of the 8th Circuit Public Defender’s Office.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff, lead investigator SLED Special Agent Logan Watts, and other involved first responders in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.
“The brutality and senselessness of Mr. Moultrie’s murder demonstrate defy comprehension,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the proceeding. “The only place in our society for violent criminals like Jaylon Elmore is behind bars where they cannot hurt innocent people, and my office will continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice.”