ELDERLY SPARTANBURG COUNTY MAN RECEIVES LIFE PRISON SENTENCE FOR FAMILY KILLING

An elderly Spartanburg County man received a life prison sentence today for killing his adult son.

George Wigington, 74, was found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime at the conclusion of a two-day jury trial. Wigington will serve every day of Circuit Judge Doyett Early’s sentence.

George Wigington shot Scott Wigington, 45, to death on June 27, 2005 at the family home on Green Acres Drive. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the elder Wigington standing in the carport. Scott was inside the home. He was still sitting in a chair where he had been shot. A small semi-automatic handgun was found on a nearby coffee table. Deputies didn’t find any sign of a struggle during their inspection of the house.

Scott Wigington’s 17-year-old daughter, Jessica, witnessed the shooting and she testified against the defendant during the trial. Prosecutors also played a copy of the 911 telephone call where George Wigington admitted to shooting his son.

“This was a senseless act of violence,” Assistant Solicitor Kim Leskanic said. “George Wigington took the life of a person who he was supposed to cherish and nurture and he is paying dearly for it.”

Leskanic partnered with Assistant Solicitor Tony Leibert to prosecute the case.