Rock Hill man pleads guilty of killing Georgia Tech football player’s father

A Rock Hill man avoided the possibility of life in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in the 2016 shooting death of the father of a Georgia Tech football player.

Dwayne Fitzgerald Sims Sr. pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Jerry Howard Sr. on Amelia Avenue in Rock Hill on Dec. 2 , 2016, said Willy Thompson, 16th Circuit deputy solicitor.

Sims was sentenced to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter and weapons charges.

Jerry Howard Jr., son of the victim, is a running back for the Georgia Tech football team after starring at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, SC. Howard Jr.’s dad was gunned down in 2016 just three days before Howard Jr. signed to play with the Yellowjackets.

Jerry Howard Jr. declined to comment about the case.

Sims, 52, who had been jailed since he was charged with murder the day after the killing, claimed until the plea in court documents that he was “innocent.” A trial was set to start Tuesday.

Sims had been charged with murder but accepted the manslaughter plea.

Sims pleaded under what is called an Alford plea, where a defendant accepts the punishment of a guilty plea because it is likely he would be convicted at trial, but does not admit guilt. An Alford plea is treated the same as a normal guilty plea by the courts and prison system, court officials said.

Sims had faced up to life in prison if convicted of murder.

Howard Sr., 37, was shot several times with a 9 mm handgun during a mid-day argument in the middle of the street.

Georgia Tech plays No. 2 ranked Clemson Saturday.

Andrew Dys: 803-329-4065, @AndrewDysHerald

This story was originally published September 18, 2018 at 12:38 PM.