Lakeside Home Turns Into Scene of Tragedy
What began as a gathering in a peaceful lakeside residence in Fairfield County ended in unimaginable heartbreak on a quiet night. Deputies responded to the home on Durham Place Road only to find a scene of violence and despair. Laporsha Jasma Farr, 37, of Spartanburg, had been struck fatally in the neck, her life taken in a sudden eruption of gunfire. Another woman lay wounded, bleeding from a gunshot to the hip, but clinging to life.
Investigators quickly pieced together that the violence stemmed from a dispute between the women and three men — a disagreement that escalated far beyond words. What should have been a night near the water turned into a nightmare, shattering families and sending shockwaves through the community.
Gunfire, Panic, and a Desperate Escape
Authorities say the dispute spiraled out of control when Jerry L. Jones allegedly pulled a gun and opened fire inside the home. The chilling sound of gunshots replaced what moments before had been the hum of conversation. The chaos forced everyone into survival mode — one woman fatally injured, the other desperately wounded.
Jones fled the scene with Benny L. Grady and William E. Mack, sparking an intense manhunt. Grady and Mack were apprehended swiftly, but Jones resisted capture, leading to a tense standoff in Greenville County before law enforcement finally took him into custody. The charges are severe — murder and attempted murder for Jones, and accessory after the fact for Grady and Mack.
A Family’s Loss, A Community in Mourning
As the legal process begins, the grief is only just starting for Farr’s loved ones. Described as a vibrant soul with a caring heart, she was a daughter, a friend, and someone who loved life. Now, her family faces the cruel reality of planning a funeral instead of celebrating another day with her.
The surviving victim’s road to recovery will be long — not only from the physical wounds but from the trauma of watching her friend lose her life in an instant. The community, reeling from the shock, is left to grapple with questions of how a disagreement could explode into deadly violence so quickly.
This tragedy is a painful reminder that moments of anger can lead to irreversible loss, and once a bullet leaves the chamber, there is no taking it back. For Fairfield County, this is more than a crime story — it’s the story of a life taken too soon, a survivor left with lasting scars, and a community united in grief.
