27-05-2025
Man sentenced to life for killing Florence airport officer in 2020
FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — A man who shot and killed a Florence airport officer in 2020 was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the 12th Circuit Solicitor's Office said.
James Edward Bell was sentenced for the killing of Jackson Winkeler. Solicitor Ed Clements said the death penalty was on the table until Bell's life sentence. The death penalty was taken off the table through a negotiated sentence with agreement from all parties, including Winkeler's family.
Arrest warrants state that in early January 2020, Winkeler, a Florence Regional Airport Officer, initiated a traffic stop on a white 2014 Chrysler 200 on the airport property. During the traffic stop, Bell shot and killed Winkeler.
When additional officers arrived, the warrants said they found Winkeler's body on the ground beside his vehicle, and his service weapon was missing. Officers also found an empty 9mm handgun that did not belong to Winkeler, along with more than 30 spent shell casings.
Bell was found in the Chrysler, which was near Highway 52, by Florence County Sheriff's deputies, according to the warrants. When deputies searched Bell, they found Winkeler's service weapon and a magazine consistent with the handgun left near Winkeler's body.
Clements thanked law enforcement for their work on the case.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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