South Carolina man convicted of murdering US Army veteran, prosecutor says

A South Carolina man is going to prison for killing a U.S. Army veteran, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

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After a weeklong trial that spilled into last weekend, a Laurens County jury convicted 34-year-old Clinton resident Vincent Marc Viner of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.

On June 6, Viner was found guilty of murdering 69-year-old Army veteran Rufford Lee Jones, according to the release.

On the night of March 4, 2025, Clinton Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting on Florence Street, the solicitor’s office said. When officers arrived, they found Jones lying in a pool of blood on the ground, according to the release.

Officers attempted to give medical aid to Jones also while searching for the suspected shooter, the solicitor’s office said. Officers found Viner nearby, and he was armed with a 9mm handgun, according to the release.

The solicitor’s office said that Viner went to Jones’ residence to confront him and later shot the veteran. Information about why Viner confronted Jones was not available.

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Jones said he fired in self-defense, but the jury rejected that claim, according to the release.

Circuit Judge William McMaster III sentenced Viner to 40 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison for murder and 5 years for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, the solicitor’s office said. The sentences will run consecutively and must be served day-for-day, with no possibility of parole, according to the release.

“Personal disputes should never be resolved at the end of a gun barrel,” Solicitor David Stumbo said in the release. “Vincent Viner chose violence over reason and took the life of Mr. Jones, who had served our country with distinction in years past. I hope this sends a clear message that those who resort to gun violence without just cause will be held fully accountable for their actions.”

Assistant Solicitors Mary Madison Driggers and Elizabeth Able as well as Deputy Solicitor Taylor Daniel led the prosecution for the solicitor’s office. Viner was represented by William Yarbrough III of the Greenville County Bar, according to the release.