Upstate man sentenced to life in prison for deadly shooting

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A Boiling Springs man has been sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting in Spartanburg County.

Spartanburg County officials said on Wednesday that 24-year-old James Bridges Byrd was found guilty of the murder of Kush Patel.

An investigation began on the night of June 6, 2021. The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Swain Avenue where Byrd shot and killed Patel. Deputies found Patel slumped over a couch seat with two gunshot wounds to his back.

Byrd was arrested at the scene.

While in custody, deputies said Byrd admitted that he took LSD, Xanax, marijuana and alcohol the night of the incident. He also told deputies that he shot Patel because he believed the victim was attacking him.

During the trial, officials said Byrd took the stand and provided a testimony that did not match his previous interview with law enforcement.

The homeowner of where the murder took place happened to witness the murder in 2021 according to officials. The individual testified on behalf of the State.

Byrd was also sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime.

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