Woman’s killer going to prison after guilty plea, Columbia police say

A year after a woman was fatally shot, her killer is going to prison, according to the Columbia Police Department.

Barbara Ann Dinkins, a 48-year-old Columbia resident, was shot and killed on Mother’s Day in 2023, police said. A day later, on May 15, Elijah L. Lindsay was arrested, according to police.

Police said the 44-year-old Columbia resident was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime when he was taken into custody last year. But on Tuesday, after his trial began, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, Richland County court records show.

Lindsay was sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, according to court records.

Lindsay “is not eligible for parole. It’s a straight 15-year sentence,” Assistant Solicitor Anna Browder told The State Wednesday. Browder led the prosecution for the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Assistant Public Defender Hope Demer was listed as Lindsay’s attorney, court records show.

The plea deal

Lindsay chose to go to trial, which started Monday, after rejecting a plea deal offered by the solicitor’s office, Browder said. The offer was significantly longer than the 15-year sentence that Lindsay ultimately accepted when he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge, according to Browder.

So why the change of plans?

Browder said the prosecution’s main witness had a last-minute emergency and was unable to testify, and so the assistant solicitor had to adapt to the fluid situation.

After getting through the first day of the trial that included opening arguments and testimony from four witnesses, Browder said she told the jury that her main witness was going to testify the next day. She let the jury know that this witness would tell them about what happened in the immediate aftermath of Dinkins’ death, and the witness would clarify that the shooting wasn’t an accident, according to Browder.

But that witness wasn’t able to appear because she was admitted to a hospital for an emergency medical procedure, Browder said.

There was no word about when, or if, that main witness would be able to testify following the emergency procedure, according to Browder. After promising the jury that key testimony, Browder said she didn’t want take a chance that the jury would wonder why they never heard from that main witness.

“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know when she would be available and I had to go forward,” Browder said.

So Browder said she countered with the offer of a 15-year prison sentence. Lindsay responded by asking for less time behind bars, but was told no and he took the plea deal, according to Browder.

“In order to get some justice for (Dinkins), I wanted to ensure some prison time was served,” Browder said. “Nothing will bring her back, but I did what we thought was appropriate under the circumstances.”

The deadly shooting

The 2023 shooting happened in the 2500 block of Orr Street, police said. That’s near the intersection with Two Notch Road, about half a mile from C.A. Johnson High School.

Lindsay’s address is listed on Orr Street, court records show.

Officers responding to the shooting found an unresponsive Dinkins inside the home, according to police.

No other injuries were reported.

The next night, police said Lindsay was taken into custody by its officers as well as members of the U.S. Marshals Service. Lindsay was found at a gas station on West Beltline Boulevard, according to police. That’s about a mile from the crime scene.

Police said the shooting “was deemed as an isolated domestic-related incident.”

Lindsay and Dinkins lived together and were longtime boyfriend and girlfriend, according to Browder.

When asked about a motive for the shooting, Browder said that it was the prosecution’s position that Lindsay believed Dinkins was cheating on him.

Remembering the victim

A Columbia native who was the general manager at a KFC for 20 years, Dinkins’ survivors included a daughter and grandson, according to an obituary shared by Leevy’s Funeral Home.

On May 20, 2023, a funeral service was held for Dinkins, who was known as “Beazo,” by those close to her, according to the obituary.

“Everyone loved her outgoing personality,” the obituary said. “Everywhere Barbara went, she wore that big beautiful smile, that most will remember about her. ... She was always the life of the party!”

Browder said Dinkins was very loved by the employees who worked for her, including two who testified at the trial. They saw her as a hard-working mother figure and a happy soul, according to Browder.