YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A man charged with murdering two members of the same family in York County was found not guilty on all charges by reason of insanity.
Jimar Neely is accused of killing two men who were brothers-in-law back on June 7, 2019.
The victim’s relatives told Channel 9 the men were headed to pick up some cabinets near Rock Hill. Then, they said Neely attacked, shooting and killing them both.
The family said it was a random attack and the two men were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Neely was taken into custody the next day after a shootout with deputies, they said. No deputies were hurt in the incident.
On Thursday, Neely entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Both the defense and prosecutors waived the right to a jury trial, and a bench trial followed Neely’s plea. The judge acted as the jury.
The judge said Neely will be committed to the state Department of Mental Health for a period not over 120 days. After, they will do an evaluation and the state will determine what happens next.
Channel 9′s Tina Terry was in court Thursday and said there was a documented history of Neely having mental health issues dating back to 2018. In February of that year, a doctor said he needed in-patient care for Schizophrenia.
At the end of the trial, the solicitor said this case proves there is a need for more mental health resources for people like Neely.
>> On Eyewitness News starting at 5 p.m., Terry will have more on the latest developments in the case.
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