SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies said when they arrived at the home of Cyrus Hinton, 47, on Sunday night, a man met them in the driveway, saying, "I shot my father! I shot my father!"
That man is Osiris Hinton, 23, who is now charged with murder in the Spartanburg shooting. Deputies said he shot his father in the back of the head inside the home Sunday night.
Hinton was a criminal defense attorney who had a practice on Main Street in Rock Hill. He was highly respected since he opened his own office 15 years ago.
Deputy public defender B.J. Barrowclough knew Hinton for decades.
"We were young lawyers together, had a lot of fun together. I'm just in shock, and confused," Barrowclough told Channel 9 on Monday.
Hinton worked for the public defender's office in York before leaving to go into private practice; Barrowclough said he doesn't know what to make of the murder charge against Hinton's own son.
"Cyrus was a great dad. I know he loved his sons. He always talked so positively about them to me, to all of us," he said.
So far, Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies have not released a motive for the shooting. Arrest warrants obtained by Channel 9 do not shed any light on what might have happened Sunday night.
16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett also worked closely with Hinton and said the loss is devastating.
"He was not just a great lawyer who really worked hard for his clients; He was just a great guy," Brackett said.
Members of the clerk of court's office in York said Hinton was just in there last week, and always made them laugh; Barrowclough said everyone who knew him, also knew his sense of humor.
"He could be so funny and entertaining one minute, and walk into court and make a well-reasoned, powerful, constitutional argument one minute later," he said.
Folks working at offices in the same building as Hinton in downtown Rock Hill told Channel 9 he was always friendly to them.
Hinton was involved in several high profile murder cases. Later this week, he was expected in Chester for a hearing; for Marqueas Buchanan, one of three teens charged in a murder for hire plot in the death of Jimmie Paul two years ago. The trio had targeted both grandparents of Clayton Eli Watts, who deputies said planned to pay to have them killed.
That case has been delayed, and court officials said it's the job of the State Supreme Court to appoint lawyers to take over Hinton's cases.
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