Aiken Police Investigating Shooting Death on Aldrich Street

Earnest Croft

Date: August 19, 2021

The Aiken County Coroner’s Office is investigating a shooting incident that claimed the life of an Aiken man.

On Wednesday night, the Coroner’s Office responded to the 1200 block of Aldrich Street, Aiken, S.C. after the body of a male was found on the driveway of a home. The discovery was made by officers patrolling the area after a call of shots fired shortly before 11 p.m.

The victim, identified as 31-year-old Earnest S. Croft, was pronounced dead on scene from at least one gunshot wound to the body. An autopsy will be performed in Newberry, S.C.

The Aiken Department of Public Safety is continuing with the investigation.

Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report Contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com.


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The Author

Greg Rickabaugh is an award-winning crime reporter in the Augusta-Aiken area with experience writing for The Augusta Chronicle and serving as publisher of The Jail Report. He also owns AugustaCrime.com. Rickabaugh is a 1994 graduate of the University of South Carolina and has appeared on several crime documentaries on the Investigation Discovery channel. He is married with two daughters.

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