Lexington, SC 09/25, 2024 (Paul Kirby) – On the evening of September 25, 2024, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard announced that Jabin Trapp, 53, was convicted of Murder by a Lexington County jury. The jury returned their guilty verdict on Thursday, September 19th, 2024. The trial began on Monday, September 16th, 2024 in the Lexington County General Sessions Court. The Honorable Debra R. McCaslin presided over the trial. After reviewing the facts presented during the proceedings, Judge McCaslin sentenced Trapp to 40 years in a state prison during that phase of the trial.
The case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Assistant Solicitors Bruce H. Norton II, Luke Pincelli, and Jordan Cox. The investigation was conducted by the Lexington Police Department and the crime scene was processed by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division's (SLED) Crime Scene Unit.
According to the evidence and testimony presented by the investigators who worked on this case, on Sunday, June 27, 2021, officers with the Town of Lexington Police Department responded to a shooting at a residence in the 100 block of Freedom Drive off Cedarcrest shortly before 5 p.m. The victim, Parrish Phillips, 49, was found dead in the backyard area of the home after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Trapp, the owner of the residence, later admitted to detectives that he shot Phillips after a verbal argument between the two men on the back porch of the house that afternoon. Trapp told the detectives that he and Phillips had been friends for years, and that Phillips had recently moved into the residence in early June of 2021. Trapp then described how during the argument, he went inside the house and retrieved a handgun from his bedroom, returned to the back porch, and then fatally shot Phillips in the backyard area of the home.
Prior to trial, Trapp moved for legal immunity from prosecution based on the South Carolina Protection of Persons and Property Act, also known as the “stand your ground” law. Trapp’s motion for legal immunity was denied following the pretrial hearings. At trial, Trapp raised the claim of self-defense. Prosecutors established evidence that Phillips, who wore an eyepatch over his left eye and was recovering from recent intestinal surgery, was shot on his blind side when the Defendant returned to the back porch armed with the handgun. Testimony at trial also revealed that Trapp initiated a verbal argument on the back porch. Phillips was unarmed at the time.
The victim’s autopsy was conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina. Testimony presented at trial from a forensic pathologist established that the victim suffered multiple fatal gunshot wounds to his back and side.
Following the guilty verdict, family members and friends of Parrish Phillips addressed the Court and described the impact of his loss on numerous family members and friends. Phillips was a beloved father, brother, uncle, and son. Phillips was known for his service dog “Max”, who was always by his side.
Trapp is not eligible for parole under South Carolina law. Trapp will be transported to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of his sentence.
PHOTO CAPTIONS: Parrish Phillips and his service dog Max
CAPTION: Jabin Trapp
