CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. – Javon Lamar Murray was sentenced to 55 years in prison on April 23, 2025, for the 2019 murder of Ruhjanae Gibbs, a 21-year-old woman from Hollywood, South Carolina. The sentence was handed down by Judge Maite Murphy, sending a powerful message, according to Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, despite the case never going to a jury.
The incident, which took place between the night of August 8 and 9, 2019, involved Murray luring Gibbs by pretending to be a mutual friend on Facebook. Evidence gathered from Murray’s phone during the investigation indicated that the crime was motivated by an attempted robbery.
Surveillance footage captured Gibbs and Murray together at Meggett Town Hall at 10:55 p.m. Before midnight, Murray shot Gibbs while she was driving, causing her vehicle to crash into a ditch. After the initial shot, he continued to shoot her, including once in the head. He then removed her shirt and dragged her body across the street, where he disposed of it in a nearby marsh.
The truck they had been driving was later found, containing Murray’s personal items, including his cell phone, ID, and debit cards. Despite providing inconsistent statements, Murray’s alibi was unverified, and DNA evidence at the crime scene confirmed his involvement.
Murray was formally charged with murder in October 2019. At his sentencing, the Gibbs family spoke to the court, with Assistant Solicitor Sara B. Bozarth reading a portion of Gibbs’ journal. In it, Gibbs wrote, “all I want in life is stability, wealth, happiness and self-love.”
