Solicitor David Pascoe announces that a Dorchester County jury found Elijah Green, 23, and Devonte Major, 27, both of Seabrook, guilty of Murder, Attempted Murder, Burglary, Armed Robbery, ill Treatment of Animals, and Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime. After a weeklong trial, Green and Major were both sentenced to life in prison by the Honorable Diane S. Goodstein for the killing of Joe Brown Weaver, 47, of Summerville.
In the early morning hours of January 28, 2019, Major and Green burglarized a home in the Robynwyn neighborhood of Summerville. During the home invasion, two men and a dog were shot. Weaver was pronounced dead at Trident Medical Center after being shot in the chest multiple times. The defendants were spotted by Summerville Police Department patrol officers as they fled the scene in a Honda CRV. The men led law enforcement on a pursuit through multiple counties, throwing evidence of their crimes from the windows of the CRV as they fled. They were eventually detained in Colleton County. Two co-defendants, Muanah Fortune and Polo Salazar, were sentenced in May 2021 to 45 years in prison for their roles in the murders.
The case was tried by Assistant Solicitor David Osborne, with Assistant Solicitor Nicholas Young sitting as second chair. The investigation was conducted by Investigations Sergeant Jonathan Davis and the Summerville Police Department.
“We’re thankful the jury saw this crime for what it was, a cruel and brutal execution,” said Assistant Solicitor David Osborne.