Mark A. Scheibler, 50, has been sentenced to life in prison following his conviction in Lexington County for murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. 

According to the press release, evidence presented showed that Scheibler went to the residence of Jimmy Ferney Johnson, Jr., also known as “J.J.,” on Mac Circle on November 27, 2021, around 7:15 a.m.

A testimony in court revealed that Scheibler was upset at Johnson over a previous argument and told others he planned to kill him.

Upon arrival at Johnson’s residence, Scheibler slashed the tires on Johnson’s car and waited for him to come outside. When Johnson exited a nearby home, Scheibler shot him at least five times.

According to a release, Johnson was unarmed during the incident. Crime scene investigators recovered seven fired cartridge cases at the scene, and a forensic pathologist testified that Johnson’s injuries included a gunshot wound to the back.

Scheibler fled the scene, leaving behind the vehicle he was driving near Fairview Crossroads. He was later apprehended in Richland County on Dec. 2, 2021, following a standoff with law enforcement at a residence on Thrush Street.

Scheibler was also charged in a separate incident involving the shooting of a girlfriend in Richland County on Nov. 19, 2021. She sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Scheibler pleaded guilty to that shooting in 2024.

His criminal history includes convictions for second-degree lynching; pointing and presenting a firearm; assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature; and grand larceny of a vehicle. He previously served a 20-year prison sentence and was released in 2012.

Following his release, he was convicted of additional offenses related to property theft and narcotics possession.

The case was investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by the Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes and Assistant Solicitor Kelly Oppenheimer. 

Judge Walton J. McLeod IV imposed the life sentence.

Scheibler will serve his sentence at the South Carolina Department of Corrections.