south carolina death row | My Crime Library

William Dickerson South Carolina Death Row

William Dickerson was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the sexual assault and murder of Gerard Roper. According to court documents William Dickerson believed that he saw Gerard Roper have sex with his girlfriend on video so he decided to torture, sexually assault and murder him. William Dickerson would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

William Dickerson 2021 Information

Admission Date: 05/07/2009

Location: Broad River

William Dickerson More News

A 32-year-old South Carolina man has been sentenced to death in a 2006 strangulation.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports a Charleston County jury decided Thursday that William Dickerson should be put to death.

Dickerson was found guilty last week of murder, kidnapping and criminal sexual assault. Authorities say he wrongly thought Gerard Roper was the man he saw in a video having sex with his girlfriend.

Authorities say the 29-year-old Roper was tortured and sexually assaulted before he was strangled. Dickerson’s father was serving a life term for an unrelated murder. He died behind bars a few years ago.

Dickerson’s attorneys contended he was a scapegoat for others who killed Roper.

It was the first death penalty trial in Charleston County in five years.

Donnie Council South Carolina Death Row

Donnie Council was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the sexual assault and murder of seventy two year old Elizabeth Gatti. According to court documents Donnie Council would sexually assault, murder Elizabeth Gatti before robbing her home. Donnie Council would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Donnie Council 2021 Information

Admission Date: 10/23/1996

Location: Broad River

Donnie Council More News

Late Thursday afternoon, October 8, 1992, Evelyn Helminiak visited with her neighbor Elizabeth Gatti, a seventy-two year old widow. Mrs. Gatti was preparing dinner when Mrs. Helminiak arrived. The next day, another neighbor, Charles Fields, became concerned about Mrs. Gatti because her morning newspaper was still in the driveway and her car was gone. Mr. Fields testified Mrs. Gatti was a creature of habit who retrieved her newspaper every morning at 4:30 a.m., read the paper, and threw it over to Mr. Fields’ driveway by 8:00 a.m. so he could read it. When the newspaper was still in the driveway and the car was still gone on Friday evening, Mr. Fields called emergency services.

When the authorities entered Mrs. Gatti’s house, perishable food items were found on the kitchen counter. Several of the rooms in Mrs. Gatti’s house had been ransacked. Mrs. Gatti’s body was discovered underneath a bedspread in her basement. She had been hogtied with a white cord and layers of duct tape were wrapped around her entire head. Her clothes had been ripped, and the crotch of her underwear had been cut out. Surrounding her body were various bottles of cleaning fluids. Mrs. Gatti had been sexually assaulted.

Dr. Nichols, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Mrs. Gatti, testified her body was covered with numerous lacerations and bruises, and someone had attempted to manually strangle her. Further, a gaping laceration extending from her vagina into the rectal area indicated penetration by a very stiff foreign object. Dr. Nichols testified the cause of death was asphyxiation due to mechanical suffocation as a result of the duct tape, and contributory to the cause of death was the ingestion and aspiration of cleaning fluids and the binding ligatures on the wrists. Dr. Nichols testified the aspiration indicated Mrs. Gatti was forced to drink the cleaning fluids. According to Dr. Nichols, Mrs. Gatti lived 2-4 hours after the vaginal/rectal injury occurred.

On October 11, 1992, the authorities found Mrs. Gatti’s car near an apartment complex where appellant sometimes stayed. Appellant was arrested for the crimes on October 12, 1992. In two separate statements, appellant admitted to being in Mrs. Gatti’s house on the night she was killed; however, he asserted he had gone to her house with a man identified as “Frankie J.” ³ APPELLANT DENIED ANY Wrongdoing; instead, he blamed the crimes on his companion. Appellant admitted, however, to SLED agent Wayne Mitchell that he had sexual intercourse with Mrs. Gatti. Further, appellant told SLED agent Danny Choate and Captain Wayne Huff, an investigator for the Aiken County Sheriff’s Department, that he had sex with Mrs. Gatti.

A shoeprint taken from a chair in Mrs. Gatti’s house was identified as matching shoes taken from appellant. Residue found on the chair positively matched debris found on appellant’s shoes. Fingerprints taken from Mrs. Gatti’s car and from items in her car were identified as belonging to appellant. Hair samples taken from appellant were consistent with hairs found in Mrs. Gatti’s home. Semen taken from a tissue in Mrs. Gatti’s house was consistent with appellant’s semen. Several items identified as belonging to Mrs. Gatti were found in appellant’s girlfriend’s apartment.

Appellant’s girlfriend’s cousin, Earthlene Danley, testified she was in Mrs. Gatti’s car with appellant the day after Mrs. Gatti’s murder and had been with appellant when he went to a bank drive-thru in North Augusta and cashed a check he took from the glove compartment of Mrs. Gatti’s car. Further, the testimony of bank employees and handwriting experts established appellant had forged three of Mrs. Gatti’s checks and cashed them at various banks.

Mrs. Gatti’s newspaper carrier positively identified appellant as the man she saw leaving Mrs. Gatti’s house in the early morning hours of Friday, October 9, 1992.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1185478.html

Luzenski Cottrell South Carolina Death Row

Luzenski Cottrell was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the murder of a police officer. According to court documents Luzenski Cottrell would shoot and kill Myrtle Beach police officer Joe McGarry during an arrest. Luzenski Cottrell would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Luzenski Cottrell 2021 Information

Admission Date: 04/27/2005

Location: Broad River

Luzenski Cottrell More News

hortly after midnight on December 29, 2002, McGarry and fellow police officer Mike Guthinger entered a Dunkin Donuts in the city of Myrtle Beach. Both officers were in uniform and on duty, completing a traffic stop a short time earlier before deciding to get coffee. Upon entering Dunkin Donuts, McGarry immediately recognized Cottrell, who was ordering coffee at the register with two companions, Diane Lawson and Fred Halcomb. McGarry was familiar with Cottrell, having had several previous encounters with him, including arresting Cottrell for possession with intent to distribute marijuana earlier that year. More significantly, Lt. Amy Prock of the Myrtle Beach Police Department had recently notified McGarry that Cottrell had been identified as a possible suspect ¹ in the shooting death of Rick Hartman, whose body had been found in a rural part of Horry County roughly a month earlier.

Upon recognizing Cottrell, McGarry informed Guthinger that Cottrell was identified as a suspect in a shooting and that he was possibly carrying a gun. Rather than proceed in line to get coffee, McGarry and Guthinger exited the Dunkin Donuts and approached Cottrell on the sidewalk as he stepped out the door. McGarry asked Cottrell whether he remembered him, and then inquired as to whether he had taken care of the previous charges for which McGarry had arrested him. Cottrell indicated they were all taken care of. At that point, McGarry asked Cottrell for his identification and informed him he was going to run an NCIC check to see if Cottrell had any outstanding warrants.

While waiting for a response from the dispatcher after calling in Cottrell’s information, McGarry indicated to Cottrell that he was going to perform a pat-down for weapons. Cottrell told McGarry “no” before turning and walking away toward another vehicle driven by Donnie Morgan, who was part of Cottrell’s group but unknown to the officers at the time. Cottrell’s right hand was somewhere near the front of his waistband as he turned and walked away.² McGarry then immediately began yelling for Cottrell to stop and show his hands. When Cottrell did not comply, McGarry unholstered his weapon and again commanded Cottrell to show his hands. With Cottrell’s back still turned to him, McGarry reholstered his weapon and rushed towards Cottrell from behind, struggling to grab Cottrell’s right hand which was near the front of his waistband, while McGarry’s left hand was somewhere on Cottrell’s upper back or shoulder, attempting to gain control of him.

The pair stumbled and separated as they slid toward the rear of the Morgan vehicle. As they regained their balance and squared up, Cottrell raised a .45 caliber handgun and fired a shot, striking McGarry in the face from eight to twelve inches away. The shot incapacitated McGarry, who fell backwards and struck his head on the pavement.³

Immediately upon seeing Cottrell shoot McGarry, Guthinger drew his weapon and fired several shots at Cottrell, striking him in the leg as Cottrell sought cover behind Morgan’s car.⁴ Guthinger and Cottrell continued to exchange gunfire, and numerous vehicles and nearby buildings were struck by bullets. At some point during the shootout, Cottrell told Guthinger he was surrendering, prompting Guthinger to leave his protected position to place him under arrest. However, as he approached, Cottrell reloaded his firearm and resumed shooting at Guthinger, who retreated to cover and called for backup.

Cottrell fled the scene and responding officers engaged in a high speed chase through Myrtle Beach until his getaway vehicle was brought to a halt using stop sticks to disable the tires, and he was placed under arrest. Police recovered the .45 caliber weapon that was forensically matched to the bullet which killed McGarry, along with another loaded .357 revolver in the backseat. Officers attempted to perform CPR on McGarry, but he passed away in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1883473.html

James Bryant South Carolina Death Row

James Bryant was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the murder of a police officer. According to court documents James Bryant would get into a physical altercation with Horry County police Cpl. Dennis Lyden that would end with the Officer being fatally shot. James Bryant would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

James Bryant 2021 Information

Admission Date: 10/09/2004

Location: Broad River

James Bryant More News

In June 2000, Cpl. Dennis Lyden of the Horry County Police Department (“Cpl. Lyden”) was placing Bryant under arrest for driving with a suspended license when Bryant suddenly turned and wrestled Cpl. Lyden to the ground. During the course of the struggle, Bryant managed to obtain Cpl. Lyden’s flashlight and pistol magazine from the officer’s duty belt and used them to severely beat Cpl. Lyden about the head. After beating the officer unconscious, Bryant took Cpl. Lyden’s pistol from his holster and shot him in the head at close range. Bryant drove off, taking the pistol and the pistol magazine with him and leaving Cpl. Lyden’s body where it had fallen. After an extensive manhunt, Horry County law enforcement apprehended Bryant the next day.

https://law.justia.com/cases/south-carolina/supreme-court/2007/26278.html

Stephen Bryant South Carolina Death Row

Stephen Bryant was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for a triple murder. According to court documents Stephen Bryant would murder Willard Tietjen, 62, Clifton Gainey, 26, and Christopher Burgess, 35 over the course of a month. Stephen Bryant would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Stephen Bryant 2021 Information

Admission Date: 10/31/2005

Location: Broad River

Stephen Bryant More News

The killer taunted investigators, scrawling in blood on one dead man’s wall: “Victem .4 in 2 weeks. Catch me if u can.”

Stephen Bryant was on probation for burglary when he killed three people and shot a fourth.

He lit candles around the body and laughed when the man’s daughter called and asked to speak with her father. “You can’t,” he told her. “I killed him three hours ago.”

Investigators said they may never know why Stephen Bryant, who was on probation after 18 months in prison for burglary, started killing in 2004.

He pleaded guilty last month, and a judge will decide Thursday whether he’ll get life in prison or the death penalty for three murders and a nonfatal shooting in a small South Carolina community.

His three victims were found over the course of a week, within 5 miles of each other in the rural western part of Sumter County, where dirt and gravel roads crisscross in the woods between Shaw Air Force Base and a state forest.

One other victim survived. Clinton Brown, then 56, was shot in the back while fishing from a riverbank. He drove himself to the hospital.

“People were very much in an uproar,” said retired sheriff Tommy Mims.

Defense attorney Jack Howle has asked the judge to spare Bryant’s life, saying he never recovered from sexual abuse as a child. Bryant started using drugs again about a month before the killings, including smoking marijuana joints after spraying them with bug spray. Bryant also wrote a long letter apologizing to one victim’s widow.

The most chilling murder was that of Willard Tietjen, 62, who was shot nine times. Bryant confessed he knocked on Tietjen’s door and told him his truck had overheated. The two spoke about religion and the Masons for hours before Bryant started shooting.

He spent a few more hours ransacking the home, dipping the corner of a pot holder made by Tietjen’s daughter in Tietjen’s blood to scrawl messages and using a pen to write other notes taunting investigators.

Tietjen’s widow, Mildred, testified that Bryant answered her husband’s cell phone, identified himself as the prowler and said her husband was dead.

When Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, said that when she called a few minutes later, he told her he was having a wonderful day. When she asked to speak to her dad, Bryant told her she couldn’t because he’d killed him, then laughed as he hung up the phone.

Also killed during Bryant’s spree was his pal, 36-year-old Clifton Gainey, who was shot in the back on the side of a dirt road as he relieved himself, then again in the head as he raised his hand to shield his face. Bryant drove off in his truck with the steaks the men had just bought, prosecutors said.

Bryant also left Christopher Burgess, 35, on an isolated dirt road. His body was found the day after deputies questioned Bryant because the license plate on a truck making the strange stops around the county was traced back to him.

Bryant told authorities the men threatened him, but investigators said they have no evidence of that. A psychiatrist testified during the sentencing hearing that Bryant suffers from paranoia.

Debbie DuRant said she figures Bryant is just evil, said she saw it in his eyes when he drove up the half-mile driveway from a gravel road to her house claiming he was a contractor and couldn’t find the house where he was supposed to be working.

DuRant said she couldn’t help him and asked him to please drive away slowly because her dogs were in the yard. It was a cover story to get his license plate number.

Gainey’s body was found about a mile away a few days later. DuRant, her husband and two daughters, then in middle school, all slept in an upstairs bedroom for the next few days with their dogs and loaded guns in easy reach. The family packed up and stayed about 10 miles away in Sumter until Bryant was arrested, DuRant said.

Even today, DuRant’s oldest daughter, now a sophomore in college, won’t stay in their home by herself.

“I’m not scared of very much at all,” DuRant said. “But for that week, we lived in absolute fear.”

https://www.goupstate.com/article/NC/20080911/News/605185831/SJ