Just as a murder trial was set to begin, a South Carolina man changed his plea to guilty and now will spend decades behind bars, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Joshua Leon Lusk, a 36-year-old Abbeville resident, pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in connection to the death of 49-year-old Kenji Claude Kilgore, the solicitor's office said Wednesday in a news release.
In 2022, Kilgore was beaten to death with a hatchet, the solicitor's office said.
Lusk was sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to the release. According to South Carolina law, that's the minimum punishment for a murder conviction and the sentence must be served day-for-day, meaning Lusk will not be eligible for parole or early release, the solicitor's office said.
The attack happened in August 2022, when Kilgore gave Lusk's co-defendant a ride home, according to the release. The co-defendant was not identified in the release and information about their charges was not available.
Lusk and Kilgore had known each other for many years and they did not get along, the solicitor's office said.
After Kilgore provided the ride, a physical altercation occurred between him and Lusk, according to the release. Information about what led to the fight was not available.
At some point during the altercation, Lusk and the co-defendant assaulted Kilgore with a knife and a hatchet, according to the release. An autopsy showed that Kilgore had been struck at least six times in the head with the blunt end of the hatchet -- and also suffered trauma to the wrist -- leading to his death, the solicitor's office said.
Lusk's account of the events that took place changed several times during interviews with law enforcement officers, according to the solicitor's office.
He was arrested Sept. 8, 2022, Abbeville County court records show. The case was investigated by the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office.
Micah Black and Wade Dowtin led the prosecution for the solicitor's office, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Chris Wilkie and 8th Circuit Victim Advocate Sarah Parris. Lusk was represented by Greenville attorney Michael Gambrell, according to the release.
"This senseless act of violence has forever altered the lives of two families in Abbeville," Solicitor David Stumbo said in the release. "The brutality with which Joshua Lusk attacked a man who he had known for many years makes it clear that our community is better off with him behind bars for the next three decades. I am pleased that our team was able to secure a murder conviction here without putting Kenji's family and friends through the pain of reliving that horrible day during a jury trial."