Myrtle Beach man pleads guilty to attempted murder in shooting of pregnant girlfriend
A Myrtle Beach man will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to multiple felony charges after he shot his then-pregnant girlfriend in 2020.
Dustin Anthony Butler, 37, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, first-degree domestic violence, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent felony and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to a news release from 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson’s office.
Judge William H. Seals, who was set to oversee Butler’s case before his guilty plea, sentenced Butler to a maximum of 30 years in prison for the attempted murder charge and five years for each of the weapons charges.
The sentences will run simultaneously, and Butler must serve at least 85% of the sentence before he’s eligible for release, the solicitor’s office stated.
Butler was charged and held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bond in March 2020 after police said he shot his girlfriend in the head and left her in the middle of the road in the Green Sea area of Horry County in January of that year.
Both the victim and the then-unborn child survived the shooting, the release said.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 3:55 PM.
