Graniteville man found dead with gunshot wound to his abdomen

The victim was found in this mobile home at 213 Ascauga Lake Road, located next to a gas station. (Google Maps photo)

Date: January 04, 2022

A Graniteville man was found shot to death Tuesday morning inside a mobile home next to El Cheapo gas station, marking Aiken County’s first homicide of 2022.

The homeowner could not get his tenant to answer the door at 213 Ascauga Lake Rd. and asked sheriff’s officials to conduct a well-being check around 8:25 a.m. Tuesday. 

“When deputies went inside the home, they found a deceased Hispanic male lying on the floor near the door with an apparent gunshot wound to his abdomen,” sheriff’s Capt. Eric Abdullah said.

The victim has been identified as the resident tenant, 32-year-old Jairo Martinez. Investigators were using an interpreter to help in the case. Also assisting the sheriff’s office are the Aiken Department of Public Safety and the Coroner’s Office.

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Aiken County recorded 25 homicides last year, one less than the previous year, according to the coroner’s office.

The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help with this new homicide.

“Community assistance is important with any investigation,” Abdullah said in a press release. “We ask that if anyone has any information, we encourage them to contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 648-6811. You can provide information anonymously through Midlands Crime Stoppers. Your tip could earn you a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for any crime.”

Other ways to contact law enforcement with a tip:

Phone tip- (888) CRIME-SC (888) 274-6372

Web tip- www.midlandscrimestoppers.com and click Submit a Tip.

Mobile tip- Download the new P3 Tips app on your Apple or Android Device ACSO Mobile App-Downloaded from App Store or Google Play

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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