Edgefield Co. pair sentenced in 2022 shooting death of 42-year-old

EDGEFIELD, S.C (WRDW/WAGT) - After two years, justice was served for the family of 42-year-old Christopher Lathrop who was killed in Edgefield County, according to authorities.

On Oct. 22, 2024, William Barfield pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to Sheriff Jody Rowland.

Last month, on Sept. 24, Devon Brock pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, Rowland said.

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Barfield and Brock were arrested and charged with murder, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a violent crime back in September 2022.

The arrests came after a hunter found Lathrop while scouting national forest land along Deep Step Road in the southern tip of Edgefield County.

Deputies, the Edgefield County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to the wooded area.

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Lathrop had been killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the neck and arms, according to Rowland.

The identification of Lathrop led to his last known address on Hayes Drive in Edgefield County, “and the investigation revealed suspicious activity of Lathrop” and the two suspects, who were his neighbors, Rowland said.

Rowland said investigators learned the three men had been together the previous day and that Brock and Barfield lured Lathrop to the remote area, where they shot and killed him.

The car used in the crime was recovered from Barfield’s family. The suspected murder weapon was recovered during a search of Brock’s home, according to Rowland.

“We would like to thank the Edgefield County Coroner’s Office, SLED, and the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office for their help on this case. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the friends and family of Mr. Lathrop,” Rowland said.