Anderson, South Carolina: August 6, 2026 – An Oconee County man was convicted and sentenced to consecutive life sentences late Wednesday afternoon for Kidnapping, Assault with Intent to Commit Criminal Sexual Conduct, and Grand Larceny involving a Clemson University Student in 2024, Solicitor Micah E. Black announced this morning.
Darrel Scott Brooks, 59, was tried this week in Anderson County for charges stemming from a September 10, 2024, incident where Brooks convinced a female Clemson student to give him a ride to work claiming he was a university employee whose vehicle had broken down.
The victim agreed to give Brooks a ride with him directing her where to drive as they left her apartment complex. After driving for approximately fifteen (15) minutes, Brooks ultimately directed her to stop at Fants Grove Baptist Church, a secluded area in Anderson County. Once there, Brooks told the victim to follow him inside the church. When she expressed fear and hesitation, Brooks assaulted her—slamming her head against the center console and pulling out a boxcutter knife. He attempted to drag her into the church and, when unsuccessful, tried to force her into the backseat of her vehicle.
A Good Samaritan who was checking public dove fields nearby heard the victim’s cries for help and saw her struggling inside the vehicle. As he pulled into the parking lot, the victim broke free from Brooks’s grip and ran to safety. The Good Samaritan reported seeing Brooks holding shoes and pulling up his pants before fleeing the scene in the victim’s SUV. The victim suffered a cut from the boxcutter but was able to contact law enforcement with the Good Samaritan’s help.
Anderson County Deputies arrived on scene and quickly issued a BOLO for the stolen vehicle. Oconee County Deputies located the vehicle using FLOCK camera system hits and attempted a stop along US 76 near Westminster. Brooks refused to stop, leading officers on a high‑speed chase that ended when he a crash near the Georgia state line. He was arrested after a brief foot chase.
Brooks later gave multiple conflicting statements to investigators. Physical evidence recovered from the vehicle—including his DNA on the boxcutter handle found under the passenger seat—directly contradicted his accounts.
Solicitor Black and Assistant Solicitor Madeline Cromer prosecuted the case for the State with the assistance of Tenth Circuit Solicitors Office Investigator Frank Wooten and Victim advocate Stephanie Joseph. Brooks was represented by Randy Chambers and Elizabeth Chambers with the Tenth Circuit Public Defenders Office.
Solicitor Black praised the work of Anderson Count Sheriff’s Office Deputies including lead investigator Will Freestate and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, including Investigator Nina McKee and Deputy Joshua Entsminger, in tracking down and apprehending this dangerous criminal and in securing this conviction. Brooks had previously served prison time for Criminal Sexual Conduct and Kidnapping and had been released only four months prior to the 2024 attack.
“The joint efforts between Anderson County and Oconee County Sheriff’s offices to swiftly bring Darrell Brooks to justice cannot be understated,” said Solicitor Black. “I am thankful for Law Enforcement and for the Good Samaritan driving that rural road that September morning who saved the victim; my prayers are that she will be able move forward knowing that she is safe, and that her abductor and attempted rapist will be serving consecutive life sentences at the South Carolina Department of Corrections.”