BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — After just one hour of deliberation, a Lee County jury convicted inmate Stephen Green of murder and other charges stemming from a brutal 2018 prison riot that left seven dead and more than 20 injured. The jury found Green guilty on Thursday, making him the only person thus far convicted of murder for the violent episode, despite the large number of inmates involved.
The trial, which began Monday, highlights the severe consequences of one of the nation’s most devastating prison riots and marks Green as the second to face trial out of 47 inmates indicted. Green, already serving life sentences for burglary and other major offenses, received additional life sentences for his role in the deadly incident.
On top of murder, Green was convicted of assault and battery by a mob, weapon possession, and criminal conspiracy. Lee County Judge Ferrell Cothran Jr. issued the sentences, further cementing Green’s already extensive prison terms.
According to prosecuting attorney Barney Giese, the conviction serves as a critical step in ensuring that Green will remain incarcerated indefinitely. His comment underscores the gravity of the sentences and the broader legal strategy regarding the riot participants: “This will keep him in forever,” Giese stated.
Throughout the trial, evidence painted a grim picture of the events during the riot, which began on the evening of April 15, 2018. It started when inmates attacked Michael Milledge, leading to a violent upsurge involving several gangs. Green was described as the leader of a faction within the Bloods gang, orchestrating attacks that contributed heavily to the escalation of violence.
Prosecutors provided harrowing details of the killings, particularly focusing on the death of 33-year-old Cornelius McClary, a fellow inmate. According to them, not only did Green participate in the initial mob attack on McClary, but he fatally revisited the injured man to inflict a final, lethal stab wound.
In his defense, Green’s attorney Matthew Hicks challenged the reliability and clarity of security footage used to identify his client in the chaotic melee, questioning the prosecutorial notion that the clothes and shoes seen in the videos conclusively proved Green’s involvement.
The verdict arrives as part of a more extensive state effort to prosecute those involved in the 2018 riot. The state’s Department of Corrections, supported by the Attorney General’s Office, has committed to pursuing charges against all implicated inmates, independent of their prior sentences.
This turbulent event underscored chronic issues within the prison system, such as severe understaffing and overcrowding, which allowed the violence to spiral. In response, significant reforms have been implemented. Adjustments include better management of security classifications, enhanced scrutiny on contraband – specifically cellphones – and substantial legislative funding to improve facilities and staffing levels. These changes aim to address the gaps that permitted such a deadly riot to unfold.
As the legal proceedings continue, with many more trials anticipated, the April 2018 riot remains a stark reminder of the challenges facing the nation’s correctional system and the dire consequences of its shortcomings.