Dontrell Rufus is a killer from South Carolina who was convicted of the murders of a woman and her Grandmother
According to court documents Dontrell Rufus would go to the home of Kiara Richbow. A family member attempted to defuse the situation however Rufus would pull out a gun and open fire killing Kiara Richbow and her Grandmother Sarah Mae Richbow
Dontrell Rufus would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to three life sentences
Dontrell Rufus Case
A South Carolina man is going to prison after being convicted of murdering his ex and her grandmother, according to the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
On Sept. 11, a Richland County jury found 33-year-old Dontrell Rufus guilty of two counts of murder and first-degree burglary, the Solicitor’s Office said in a news release.
Judge Christopher Taylor sentenced Rufus to three life sentences in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, according to the release.
The conviction is connected to the deadly April 20, 2020 shooting of 28-year-old Kiara A. Richbow and her 76-year-old grandmother Sarah Mae Richbow, the Solicitor’s Office said.
On April 20, 2020, Rufus arrived uninvited at Kiara Richbow’s home, where she was inside with their two daughters, Sarah Richbow and niece, according to the release.
Rufus’ cousin tried, several times, to defuse the conflict before he forced his way into the home, where he shot Kiara twice and Sarah once, the Solicitor’s Office said. Both later died from their injuries, according to the release.
The home is in the 2500 block of South Partridge Circle, near the intersection of Starling Goodson Road and Lower Richland Boulevard. That’s about 8 miles from what Richland County court records listed as Rufus’ residence in Columbia.
Dontrell Rufus News
A Richland County man was found guilty this week of a double murder nearly five years ago.
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office said a jury found Dontrell Rufus guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on Thursday in the deaths of Kiara Richbow and her grandmother, Sarah Richbow. He was then sentenced to three life sentences in prison.
Prosecutors said that on April 20, 2020, Rufus showed up uninvited at Kiara Richbow’s home, where their two daughters, Sarah Richbow and a niece, were.
Rufus’s cousin had attempted to de-escalate the situation multiple times before Rufus entered the home, where he shot Kiara Richbow twice and Sarah Richbow once in the upper body before fleeing the scene.
Both victims were taken to a hospital, where they later died from their injuries.
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Rufus had abandoned his truck and attempted to dispose of the evidence that linked him to the crime. RCSD arrested him the following day without incident.
Records showing where Rufus would serve his sentence were not immediately available.
https://www.wistv.com/2025/09/12/man-found-guilty-sentenced-prison-killing-2-richland-county-women
