Rock Hill man gets 15 years in prison for child custody dispute turned deadly
A Rock Hill man who shot two brothers during a custody dispute, including killing the father of his sister’s infant child, will spend the next 15 years in prison.
York County Judge Dan Hall sentenced Maurice Lamont Burris Jr., 26, after Burris pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 26-year-old Charles Gaither Jr.
Burris also pleaded guilty at the Moss Justice Center to attempted murder under an Alford plea for the non-fatal shooting of Gaither’s brother, Dae’Bronne. In the Alford plea for attempted murder, Burris did not admit guilt but accepted he would likely be found guilty by a jury, Hall said in court.
Gaither and Burris’s sister had a child together, court testimony showed. Burris went to Flint Hill Street during the July 2023 dispute over handing of the 5-month-old child and shot both brothers, according to statements in court.
“This in essence appears to be a defendant who brought a loaded pistol to a child custody argument,” Hall said in court.
Hall questioned why Burris didn’t call the police to help handle the situation that day before it turned violent.
“To not call in law enforcement, and then bring a loaded gun to a dispute over custody of 5-month-old child, is certainly an egregious act,” Hall said.
Burris originally was charged with murder in Charles Gaither’s death. Burris also pleaded guilty to two weapon charges. Prosecutors and Burris’s lawyer agreed to the plea deal with a cap of 20 years in prison on all charges.
Hall questioned why Burris didn’t call the police to help handle the situation that day before it turned violent.
“To not call in law enforcement, and then bring a loaded gun to a dispute over custody of 5-month-old child, is certainly an egregious act,” Hall said.
Both victims were shot in the back, 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor John Anthony said.
“There is no Indication the victims fired a weapon or were even armed,” Anthony said.
Dae’Bronne Gaither was attempting to flee when he was shot, Anthony said. There were others nearby at the time of the shooting, including small children, Anthony said.
The victims’ family asked Hall for the maximum sentence under the plea agreement.
Defendant: ‘An awful decision’
Burris knew Gaither. The two lived in the same house at one time before the shooting, Burris said in court.
Burris claimed he acted out of fear but asked for forgiveness.
“I never went there for violence,” Burris told Judge Hall. “I know I made an awful decision that day, and I know I am going to jail.”
Burris’ lawyer, 16th Circuit Public Defender B.J. Barrowclough, asked Hall for a sentence of eight years.
Burris had criminal convictions a decade ago when a teenager, but had turned his life around, Barrowclough said in court. Burris drove a truck for a living, held back-to-school bashes for neighborhood kids and was a responsible member of the community before the shootings.
“He didn’t go over there with the intent to kill anybody - it was a family dispute,” Barrowclough said. “Yes, he did make the tragic mistake of bringing the gun.”
Barrowclough said Burris “got pulled into a volatile situation, and he overreacted.”
