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Jason Rivenburg’s Convicted Murderer Denied Appeal

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The South Carolina Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of the man convicted of killing Jason Rivenburg, a truck driver and father of three.

Rivenburg was senselessly murdered in a parking lot in March 2009.

Willie Pelzer III was convicted of Rivenburg’s murder and was sentenced to spend life in prison. Pelzer said he felt his sentence was too harsh.

His attorneys filed an appeal in the case stating Pelzer’s case should have been held in another county, however, the South Carolina Supreme Court disagreed and rejected the appeal.

In March 2009, Rivenburg, 35, had just delivered a load in Virginia and was heading to South Carolina.  Jason was ahead of schedule for his next delivery at Food Lion supermarket, which was only 12 miles away.

The store would not accept early deliveries and would not allow Jason to park on their property and wait until his appointed time, so Jason pulled into an abandoned gas station– the only place with available parking in the area.

Willie Pelzer was a thug, a career felon.  Just before the murder, Pelzer was at a gas station across the road from the abandoned gas station Jason had parked at.  Authorities believe Pelzer was looking for someone to rob.  He noticed Jason’s truck  and crossed the street, and climbed under Jason’s trailer to wait for him to go to sleep.  At approximately 10:30 that night, Pelzer entered Jason’s truck and shot him twice in the head.  Pelzer walked away with $7.00.

Just thirteen days after Jason’s murder, his wife Hope delivered twins.  Jason left behind a wife and three children.

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