LANCASTER -A Lancaster County man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 12-year-old Elaina Smith in 2023. 40-year-old Jason Shackelford of Columbia admitted guilt on charges of first-degree murder and other charges. Shackelford admitted to killing Smith when the two were alone at an Avenue H residence in Columbia on the night of Feb. 8, 2023, into Feb. 9. Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Shackelford.
JASON SHACKELFORD