SC Supreme Court hears arguments in convicted killer’s early release

By Web staff

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    COLUMBIA, South Carolina (WHNS) — On Wednesday the South Carolina Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the case involving the early release of a convicted killer.

Jeroid Price murdered Carl “Dash” Smalls Jr., a former football player for the University of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina, in a nightclub in 2002. Price was sentenced to 35 years in prison but walked free in March.

An order requested by Price’s attorney Rep. Todd Rutherford and signed by now-retired judge Casey Manning freed Price more than a decade before the state-required minimum sentence of 30 years for murder.

Smalls’ family was not aware of the order until months later and could not address the court before a decision was made about Price’s release, something required in South Carolina’s Victims’ Bill of Rights. Governor Henry McMaster described the order as “clandestine” and said the circumstances “defy logic.”

Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson said proper procedures were not followed in Price’s release and he petitioned the state Supreme Court to unseal the court proceedings that allowed it to happen. The unsealed documents include affidavits attesting to Price’s good behavior behind bars, like notifying officials about the escape of a dangerous prisoner and tackling an inmate armed with a broomstick who was attempting to attack an officer.

Records from the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) also show Price was disciplined multiple times while behind bars. He had been moved to a prison in New Mexico, where he was incarcerated at the time of his release.

Attorney General Alan Wilson asked the Supreme Court to issue a bench warrant for Price’s arrest.

“While we are still unsure about several circumstances surrounding his release, we are certain Judge Manning’s order is void,” Wilson said. “He absolutely should not have been released from prison, and we need to get him back behind bars as quickly as possible.”

In a letter to the SCDC director on Tuesday, McMaster asked for a review of any and all early-release cases since January 2022 to determine if Price’s release is an “isolated incident.” If any similar orders are identified, he requested they be sent to the Chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Attorney General.

Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing is set for noon.

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