South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that Jason Tyrell Ford has pleaded guilty to the murder of 72-year-old Mae Edith Burgess in Clarendon County. The incident occurred on December 13, 2022, when Ford killed Burgess in her home. The case was managed by the Violent Crime Case Reduction Unit (VCCRU), a team established by Attorney General Wilson to address case backlogs, particularly in rural areas.
“This case is especially heartbreaking because Ford stole a car in Sumter County, then drove to Ms. Burgess’s home and killed her as she sat down for dinner, just so he could steal her car. He then continued his crime spree when he tried to kill another man in Sumter County, but thankfully that man survived,” Attorney General Wilson said.
Ford received a life sentence without the possibility of parole from Judge Kirk Griffin. In addition to the murder charge, Ford pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 30 years. He also admitted guilt for grand larceny, receiving the maximum sentence of 10 years, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
Other charges against Ford—attempted murder and grand larceny of a vehicle in Sumter County—are still pending.
The case had been scheduled for trial on April 13; however, Ford entered his guilty plea before proceedings began.
Assistant Attorney General Angela McCall-Tanner prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. The investigation involved cooperation between the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The South Carolina Attorney General’s office works with law enforcement agencies across the state on criminal prosecutions and supports victims through advocacy and resources (official website). As the state’s chief legal advocate and enforcer, Alan Wilson oversees these efforts (official website).
