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RIDGELAND, S.C. — A man involved in the tragic 2024 shooting that left two people dead in front of three children was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday.
A jury in Jasper County General Sessions convicted 50-year-old Charles Saunders on two counts of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime before sentencing him.
The charges were related to the murders of Alesia Dykes and Bernard Alexander Lyles.
At the time of the incident, Saunders was staying with Dykes, intending to visit his grandchild. The two had known each other for years, having been friends since a New Year’s event. Dykes had introduced Saunders to her sister, with whom he later had a son, according to officials.
Authorities reported that Saunders and Lyles had been engaged in escalating disputes in the days leading up to the tragic event. Saunders also shared a video online where he brandished firearms and made threats to shoot someone, as stated by a spokesperson from the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Witnesses told Hardeeville Police officers that Dykes and Lyles got into a verbal dispute with Saunders, which had turned physical on June 18, 2024. When the dispute escalated, Dykes and Lyles went inside the apartment, but Saunders stepped into the threshold as well.
That’s when witnesses said he pulled a 9mm handgun from his waistband and began shooting.
One of three young children in the apartment when the shootings took place ran for help to a relative’s house at neighboring Deer Run Apartments, officials said.
Hardeeville Police officers responded to the scene shortly after noon. Dykes was found dead and Lyles was taken to Coastal Carolina Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
By the time police arrived, Saunders had fled, officials said. Several hours later, Saunders was arrested after being spotted at Waffle House in Ridgeland.
Saunders was apprehended after he was spotted at Waffle House in Ridgeland several hours after the murders.
“This defendant chose to repay trust and hospitality with violence of the most horrendous sort,” said Trasi Campbell of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case “Charles Saunders has lived a life of violence, and today’s outcome ensures he no longer endangers the public.”