COLUMBIA, S.C. — A former officer of South Carolina law enforcement has admitted to the murder of his neighbor, marked by substantial physical evidence linking him to the crime. Investigative findings included blood-stained clothing and a funeral pamphlet found in his residence that contained the phrases “RIP Oscar” and “you should love your neighbor,” according to law enforcement officials.

Justin Rawlins Moody, aged 43, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the murder charges shortly before his trial was scheduled to start in Greenwood County, as stated by Solicitor David Stumbo.

The victim, 48-year-old Oscar Rubio, was discovered dead by his girlfriend in their Ware Shoals home in May 2023. The authorities reported that Rubio suffered gunshot wounds to both the head and chest.

Witnesses in the neighborhood informed the responding officers that both Rubio and Moody had recently engaged in disputes and noted that Moody had borrowed money from Rubio previously. Moody initially refused to step outside his home when deputies arrived but eventually complied when an officer he recognized showed up.

When questioned by investigators, Moody denied killing Rubio but demonstrated an unusual level of knowledge about the circumstances surrounding the incident, according to Stumbo. When pressed about his knowledge, Moody bizarrely claimed to be God and asserted that he could hear other people’s thoughts.

Law enforcement discovered the firearm used in Rubio’s murder inside Moody’s bedroom, along with blood-stained pants draped over a chair in the kitchen. They also found boots in Moody’s residence that matched distinct blood footprints found at the crime scene, thousands of dollars in cash belonging to Rubio, keys for Rubio’s vehicle, and the funeral pamphlet that referenced “RIP Oscar” along with the message about loving one’s neighbor.

Records from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy reveal that Moody had been employed as a law enforcement officer across six different agencies since 2006. His career included four years with Laurens County, a year in Greenville County, and nearly three years in Richland County, after which he seemingly left law enforcement entirely in October 2018.

The records indicate that none of the agencies reported that Moody was terminated or advised against his future employment, although one agency expressed dissatisfaction with his departure after less than five months to work for another department.