Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Dillon Co. man convicted of murder

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that a Dillon County jury has found Earl G. Johnson, Jr. guilty of murder for killing the adult son of a homeowner during a home invasion attempted armed robbery. After a jury trial that lasted three days and ended on July 14, the jury returned the guilty verdict for the murder of Phillip Miles.

Johnson was found guilty of one count of murder and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Judge Paul W. Burch sentenced Johnson to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The murder occurred on August 19, 2017.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Heather S. Weiss and Assistant Attorney General Jason E. Bridges. Special Investigator Matt Ellis with the Attorney General’s Office was the investigator and Whitney Malloy was the paralegal. This case was originally investigated by the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Laurinburg, North Carolina Police Department. SLED also had an essential role in assisting in this case. These types of cases can only come to conclusions like this when all law enforcement partners and prosecuting agencies work together tirelessly to bring justice to all victims involved.