Anderson man accused of killing teen pleads guilty

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A man from Anderson who is accused of killing a teen back in 2020 pleaded guilty Wednesday morning.

In a hearing, 21-year-old Christian James Elijah Kemp pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Kemp explained he wanted to plead guilty because he didn’t want to put his family or the victim’s family through a trial.

The judge sentenced Kemp to 30 years and asked that he gets his GED while in prison.

Kemp was 18 years old when police said he shot and killed Christopher Dylan Patterson, 17, during an argument with his twin sister on Jan. 16, 2020.

The solicitor said Patterson died while protecting his sister and “will always be remembered for that ultimate act of love for his sibling.”

Following the hearing on Wednesday, Patterson’s sister released the following statement:

“Today, as opposed to what many may think, is not a happy day for anyone. Both of our families have lost a brother, a son, and friend. We grieve with his family as we do our own. We appreciate Mr. Kemp offering an apology and we are diligently working towards forgiveness. We appreciate Mr. Kemp sparing us the additional heartache of a trial.

The loss of our brother is something we will never get over, but hopefully, time will soften the ache. Dylan didn’t deserve to die the way that he did. He died taking a bullet that was meant for his twin sister.

We hope to shed light on the gun violence issue. Our hope is that young people will take into consideration that there are penalties for heat-of-the-moment violent crimes. Losing a family member to death or prison isn’t worth it in any situation. We hope more young people will think before they act.”

Kemp was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and assault and battery second degree.

A judge denied Kemp’s bond for the second time in December of 2021 and he has remained inside the Anderson County Detention Center for the last two years.

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