Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : Leesville Resident Faces Additional Charges, Including Murder, in Connection to 25-Year-Old Shooting Victim’s Body Discard
Weeks after the arrest of a South Carolina man for discarding the body of a 25-year-old shooting victim, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department announced that the Leesville resident, Jesse Lou Gregory, is now facing additional charges, including murder.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s department, Gregory has been charged with grand larceny, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and circumventing an electronic monitoring device, in addition to the murder charge. This comes after Gregory was already charged with desecration of human remains, driving under suspension, failure to stop for blue lights, resisting arrest, and a drug charge.
The investigation into Gregory began on November 12 when a body was found at the corner of Old Barnwell Road and White Knoll Way. Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon stated, “Gregory was identified as a person of interest in that crime and arrested… and charged with desecrating human remains after investigators said he discarded the body of a shooting victim.” The victim, Nicholas Kenneth Hendrix, was shot with a shotgun, according to Koon.
Hendrix’s body was discovered in the 1500 block of Old Barnwell Road and was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred in Lexington, in the area south of Interstate 20, between White Knoll High School and White Knoll Elementary School.
Koon revealed that Gregory had stolen a car the day before the shooting, which led to the grand larceny charge. Gregory was apprehended in Aiken County with the stolen vehicle. Additionally, it was discovered that Gregory had failed to properly charge a GPS electronic ankle monitoring device, which was a condition of his bond from a previous charge.
Court records show that Gregory has a history of arrests in Lexington County over the past 15 years, including a previous domestic violence charge for which he pleaded guilty in February 2023.
Gregory is currently being held in the Lexington County Detention Center, as bond was denied for the new charges.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet determined a motive for the shooting.