Richland County man convicted in deadly shooting case

Darius Foster was arrested for the murder of Deddrick Pogue at a Midlands hotel, said RCSD. (Photo: Richland County Sheriff’s Department)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A Richland County jury has convicted a man of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime on Thursday, Sept. 12, said the solicitor’s office.

Darius Foster was sentenced to 30 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Foster was facing trial for the murder of 28-year-old Deddrick Pogue, whom he is accused of shooting on July 16, 2022, during a drug deal turned robbery.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department obtained surveillance video footage from the InTown Suites on Two Notch Road which showed Foster entering and exiting the hotel room where Pogue was shot.

A hotel resident witnessed Foster retrieve a gun from an unknown individual in his vehicle, conceal it, and re-enter Pogue’s room, according to a press release.

Also, the resident said two gunshots were heard and the resident saw Foster leave the scene but managed to record the vehicle’s license plate number.

The victim’s girlfriend who was present during the shooting, later identified Foster in a photo lineup.

Soon after, law enforcement said they recovered the victim’s phone, and linked Pogue’s communications to a Facebook page associated with Foster’s email address.

Additionally, phone records were obtained that placed the defendant’s phone at the hotel during the shooting, said the 5th Solicitor’s Office.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department made the initial arrest of Foster in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 19, 2022, at his cousin’s home, just days after the shooting.

A search warrant executed at the cousin’s home led to the discovery of a gun that matched the projectiles found in Pogue’s body.

Investigators said Foster denied any involvement in Pogue’s murder, claiming that he was in Charlotte at the time of the incident.

However, his cousin stated that Foster arrived at her home a day after the shooting, said law enforcement.