Prosecutors seeking the death penalty in mass murder case

SCSO
Murder suspect James Douglas Drayton Photo credit Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing 5 people in the Upstate two years ago. As we previously reported, the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office responded to a home on Bobo Drive in Inman in 2022 and found five people dead.

The home was known as a place where drug addicts went to get high. The suspect, James Douglas Drayton had been staying at the house for two weeks before the murders. After allegedly killing those five people, Drayton fled to Georgia where he robbed a store at gunpoint. He fled from police in a vehicle but eventually crashed and was apprehended after a foot pursuit.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says Drayton gave a full confession when questioned and said he was high on meth and hadn't slept in days when he committed the murders.

The 2022 killings are the largest single murder incident in Spartanburg County history.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office