A former South Carolina police officer has pleaded guilty to killing his neighbor after investigators discovered a trove of physical evidence linking him to the crime, including bloodstained clothing and a funeral pamphlet with the words “RIP Oscar” and “You should love your neighbor” written on it, according to authorities.
Justin Rawlins Moody, 43, was sentenced to 34 years in jail on Monday after pleading guilty to murder soon before his Greenwood County trial began, according to Solicitor David Stumbo.
Oscar Rubio, 48, was found dead at his Ware Shoals home in May 2023 after being shot in the head and chest, according to deputies.
Neighbors informed cops responding to the incident that Rubio and Moody had recently argued and that Moody had previously borrowed money from his neighbor. Moody refused to come out of his house for deputies until one he recognized arrived.
When Moody spoke with police, he claimed he did not kill Rubio but did know a great deal about what transpired, according to Stumbo.
Officers then asked how he knew so much, and Moody “claimed to be God and could hear the thoughts of other people,” according to Stumbo.
Deputies discovered the gun used to kill Rubio in Moody’s bedroom, blood spattered on pants hanging on a kitchen chair, boots in Moody’s home that matched a distinct footprint in blood at the victim’s house, thousands of dollars in cash belonging to Rubio, keys to his vehicle, and a funeral pamphlet with “RIP Oscar” and “you should love your neighbor” written on it, according to prosecutors.
According to South Carolina law, a murder sentence must be between 30 years and life in prison and served day by day, which means Moody will be ineligible for parole, officials said.
“This is a senseless act of violence,” Stumbo declared in a statement. “I cannot say enough about the excellent work done by the law enforcement investigators and our prosecutors to put Justin Moody behind bars for essentially the rest of his life.”
According to data from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, Moody has served as a law enforcement officer for at least six different South Carolina agencies since 2006.
According to his records, he worked for four years in Laurens County, a year in Greenville County, and nearly three years in Richland County over two stints before appearing to depart law enforcement for good in October 2018.
According to the data, none of the agencies reported that Moody was dismissed or stated he shouldn’t be recruited anywhere else. However, one was concerned that he departed after less than five months and went to work for another agency.
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