WALHALLA — An Easley man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing a woman and her unborn child.

James Baskerville, 53, formerly of 114 Austin Woods Circle, Easley, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter and a charge of death of a child in utero during commission of a violent crime.

Baskerville entered his plea during a court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

On June 20, 2009, Seneca police responded to a 911 call at Upstate Pain Management, located on U.S. 123 in Seneca.

Police discovered the body of Karla Benson, 29, in a storage room at the back of the clinic. Benson had been shot in the head and shoulder. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis said Benson was 20 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

Police found Baskerville in the front of the clinic with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Forensic evidence showed the gun was the same used to kill Benson, Tenth Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams said.

Baskerville was a part-time housekeeping employee at the clinic.

According to Adams, Baskerville met Benson while they were both employed at Oconee Medical Center. The two began an on again/off again relationship.

In June of 2009, Benson began making plans to move out of state. Adams said Baskerville hoped Benson would ask him to move with her, and that he believed he was the father of her unborn child.

On the day of the murder, Benson asked a friend to drop her off at Upstate Pain Management so she could collect some money owed her from Baskerville, Adams said.

About an hour later, the owner of the business opened the office and discovered Baskerville, who had already wounded himself and was bleeding profusely from the head, Adams said.

The owner immediately ran outside and called the police.

Judge Cordell Maddox sentenced Baskerville to 30 year concurrent terms for each charge.

“We are very pleased with the sentence imposed by the Judge in this case,” Adams said. “Many lives were drastically changed by the events of that day. The loss of this mother and her unborn child is a horrible tragedy.”