Lexington County man sentenced to 75 years in prison for the 2019 shooting death of his girlfriend

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– According to the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office,  a Lexington County man was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in 2019. Officials say 52-year-old Vincent Shivers was sentenced to 75 years in prison without parole after being found guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime for the shooting death of Roselyn Cedeno.

“This was a brutal crime committed during an act of domestic violence. We continue our efforts to aggressively prosecute crimes of violence and ensure the safety of families in our community,” said Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard.

Investigators say the crime occurred on or around September 2, 2019 at a home in the 200 block of Carriage Hill Court. On September 3, 20019, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department says it was called for a welfare check at the home after Shivers did not show up for his job as a finance manager at a business in Columbia. Responding officers say no one responded at the front door for the welfare check, but they saw a body in plain view inside the master bedroom. Authorities say a search warrant was then obtained and they determined that the body was that of 45-year-old Roselyn Cedeno. Deputies say Shivers could was not at the home and neither was his Ford F-150 truck.

Authorities then classified Shivers as a missing person and began searching for him. According to officials, a search of Shivers home uncovered HPR .45 caliber ammunition that matched the spent cartridge found in the crime scene. Investigators also found a gun box in the master bedroom, but the gun was missing.

On September 5, 2019, authorities discovered that Shivers had crossed the border into Canada without telling any friends or co-workers of his plan to do so. Surveillance video shows Shivers’ truck crossing the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge into Canada. Investigators say Shivers was staying at hotels in Canada and had purchased luggage and clothing during his time there. Additionally, authorities say Shivers had cancelled his cell phone after leaving on September 2, 2019.

Shivers was arrested by the Toronto Police Services Fugitive Squad on September 5, 2019, while he was waiting to board a flight to London. Processing of Shivers truck revealed matching HPR .45 caliber ammunition.

According to officials, autopsy results show that the victim sustained at least seven gunshot wounds, two of which were in her back. Investigators say multiple wounds were inflicted while Cedeno was on the floor.

Shivers was taken to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin his sentence.