Columbia, South Carolina – Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced a big step forward for the Violent Crimes Case Reduction Unit (VCCRU). The unit got its first conviction in a trial just six months after it started taking cases. This is a great start to its goal of making things easier for local prosecutors and getting justice in cases that have been delayed because of major offenses.
On Thursday, June 26, a Sumter County jury found 43-year-old Jason Barnes guilty of murder and weapons charges in the death of Richard “Ricky” Preusser in 2022. At the time of the crime, the two men lived in the same house, which belonged to Preusser.
Investigators said that Barnes brought a pistol from the West Coast just before the incident. He shot Preusser to death in the house on August 19, 2022. A K-9 officer found a cell phone in the woods that had personal messages and notes on it that helped explain Barnes’ plans, especially his attempts to get the gun back before the police could find it.
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Circuit Court Judge Ferrell Cothran gave Barnes 38 years in jail for murder and five more years for having guns. Both sentences will be served at the same time.
“These first pleas and trials are the beginning of what will be many cases our Violent Crimes Case Reduction Unit will close to bring justice to crime victims in South Carolina,” Attorney General Wilson said.
The VCCRU has taken on more than 180 violent crime cases since it was formed, and more than 10% of those investigations have already been closed or led to bench warrants. The team works closely with local police and lawyers to solve cases that have been open for a long time.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and Attorney General’s Office Special Investigators Rebecca Sessions and Cameron Warren looked into the Barnes case. Angela Tanner, the Assistant Attorney General, led the prosecution in court. Chris Scalzo, another VCCRU attorney, assisted her.
Attorney General Wilson also expressed gratitude to the whole legal team for their work in getting the case to trial. This included paralegals Glenda Amick and Margaret Osburn, law clerk Emily Culbreath, victim advocate Glynna Fogle, and senior prosecutors Monty Bell and Heather S. Weiss.
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The VCCRU is likely to keep playing a key role in clearing up backlogs and bringing long-overdue justice to South Carolina now that it has its first conviction.
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