William Dickerson – Black, age 29
Sentenced in Charleston County, South Carolina
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Dickerson sexually assaulted Gerald Roper (age 29), removed two of Roper’s teeth, and then strangled him. The state argued that Dickerson murdered Roper because he believed he was the man having sex with his girlfriend in a video he had found; it was not Roper. The Defense argued that Dickerson was the scapegoat for the actual murderers.
Sources: AP Alert 04/23/09 – SC 23:58:00, 04/30/09 – SC 23:37:53, 05/07/09 – 21:33:45
By: a jury
Date of crime: March 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Dickerson sexually assaulted Gerald Roper (age 29), removed two of Roper’s teeth, and then strangled him. The state argued that Dickerson murdered Roper because he believed he was the man having sex with his girlfriend in a video he had found; it was not Roper. The Defense argued that Dickerson was the scapegoat for the actual murderers.
Sources: AP Alert 04/23/09 – SC 23:58:00, 04/30/09 – SC 23:37:53, 05/07/09 – 21:33:45
Jerry Buck Inman – White, age 37
Sentenced in Pickens, South Carolina
By: a judge after pleading guilty
Date of crime: May 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Inman raped and strangled Tiffany Souers (age 20) near the Clemson University campus. Defense provided testimony and evidence about the sexual abuse that Inman had experienced at the hand of his father growing up. Several witnesses, including a social worker, explained the way in which this led to a variety of psychological disorders. Inman told the judge during sentencing that he was too violent to rehabilitate and that he deserved to die. Judges determine sentences in cases when the defendant confesses in South Carolina.
Sources: AP Alert 04/22/09 – AL 17:44:25; Charleston Daily Mail (WV) 04/23/09 (2009 WLNR 7676478); AP DataStream 04/23/09 00:19:01
By: a judge after pleading guilty
Date of crime: May 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Inman raped and strangled Tiffany Souers (age 20) near the Clemson University campus. Defense provided testimony and evidence about the sexual abuse that Inman had experienced at the hand of his father growing up. Several witnesses, including a social worker, explained the way in which this led to a variety of psychological disorders. Inman told the judge during sentencing that he was too violent to rehabilitate and that he deserved to die. Judges determine sentences in cases when the defendant confesses in South Carolina.
Sources: AP Alert 04/22/09 – AL 17:44:25; Charleston Daily Mail (WV) 04/23/09 (2009 WLNR 7676478); AP DataStream 04/23/09 00:19:01
Clinton Robert Northcutt – White, age 20 (re-sentence)
Sentenced in Lexington County, South Carolina
By: a judge
Date of crime: January 7, 2001
Prosecution’s case/defense response: (re-sentencing) Northcutt punched, squeezed, choked, and bit his daughter, Breanna Northcutt (age 4 months), before breaking her back over the edge of her crib. During the initial sentencing the prosecutor showed how the infant had been killed with a doll during closing arguments. Though Northcutt had personally asked for the death penalty the South Carolina Supreme Court held that the closing argument was overly zealous. Defense again sought to show evidence of Northcutt’s childhood, including abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father.
Sources: Columbia State (SC) 06/15/09 (2009 WLNR 11412324), 06/16/09 (2009 WLNR 11465243), 06/17/09 (2009 WLNR 11531170), 06/18/09 (2009 WLNR 11604392)
By: a judge
Date of crime: January 7, 2001
Prosecution’s case/defense response: (re-sentencing) Northcutt punched, squeezed, choked, and bit his daughter, Breanna Northcutt (age 4 months), before breaking her back over the edge of her crib. During the initial sentencing the prosecutor showed how the infant had been killed with a doll during closing arguments. Though Northcutt had personally asked for the death penalty the South Carolina Supreme Court held that the closing argument was overly zealous. Defense again sought to show evidence of Northcutt’s childhood, including abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father.
Sources: Columbia State (SC) 06/15/09 (2009 WLNR 11412324), 06/16/09 (2009 WLNR 11465243), 06/17/09 (2009 WLNR 11531170), 06/18/09 (2009 WLNR 11604392)
Stephen Stanko — White, age 38 (already under of 2006 death sentence in South Carolina for a different murder)
Sentenced in Horry County, South Carolina
By: A jury
Date of crime: 4/8/05
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Stanko burgled the home of 74-year-old Henry Turner, robbed him, and shot him twice in the head—one shot was fired from the back through a pillow. In a separate trial in 2006 Stanko had been sentenced to death for a murder he committed earlier that same day of his live-in-girlfriend after he had sexually assaulted her daughter. The defense in the present case attempted to establish that Stanko was insane at the time he killed Turner, and also presented evidence that he acted as a peacemaker in prison.
Sources: Myrtle Beach Sun News 11/18/09 (2009 WLNR 23247067), 11/19/09 (2009 WLNR 23285706), 11/20/09 (2009 WLNR 23456606).
By: A jury
Date of crime: 4/8/05
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Stanko burgled the home of 74-year-old Henry Turner, robbed him, and shot him twice in the head—one shot was fired from the back through a pillow. In a separate trial in 2006 Stanko had been sentenced to death for a murder he committed earlier that same day of his live-in-girlfriend after he had sexually assaulted her daughter. The defense in the present case attempted to establish that Stanko was insane at the time he killed Turner, and also presented evidence that he acted as a peacemaker in prison.
Sources: Myrtle Beach Sun News 11/18/09 (2009 WLNR 23247067), 11/19/09 (2009 WLNR 23285706), 11/20/09 (2009 WLNR 23456606).