Berkeley Co. man gets life in prison for 2021 murder of girlfriend

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A Berkeley County man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday for the murder of his girlfriend in 2021.

40-year-old Aubrey Dupree Tucker was found guilty of murdering Jessica Ancrum on June 9, 2021, in Goose Creek. Jurors also declared Tucker to be guilty of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent crime.

Tucker was out on bond for murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in Charleston County when the murder took place.

During the four-day trial, testimony revealed that Tucker had been at his mother’s house on Old Back River Road, which is where he lived with the victim, his mother, and stepfather.

At the time, Tucker was on house arrest and ordered to wear an ankle monitor. Ms. Ancrum was about to leave the home when a verbal altercation occurred between her and Tucker.

Tucker shot Ms. Ancrum five times during the argument, hitting her twice in the chest, twice in the back, and once in the leg, according to the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

After firing, Tucker fled on foot with the gun. Immediately, Tucker’s mother and stepfather called 911.

“The jury heard the emotional call where the defendant’s mother hysterically reported that the victim had been shot and that her son, Aubrey Tucker, was the shooter,” the solicitor’s office said. “She was so distraught that her husband eventually had to take the phone away to relay the facts to dispatchers.”

Berkeley County deputies utilized K9s to search for Tucker but could not locate him. Additional information showed that Tucker cut off his ankle monitor in North Charleston.

Two days later, Tucker was apprehended in Columbia with the help of US Marshals.

“Senior Assistant Solicitor Wilton H. McNeely praised the bravery of the defendant’s mother and stepfather for doing the right thing and reporting this senseless crime to authorities immediately after it occurred,” a statement from the office said.

Honorable Dale Van Slambrook sentenced Tucker. Senior Assistant Solicitor Wilton H. McNeely and Assistant Solicitor Olivia Lynch prosecuted this case for the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.