Here’s who’s on death row in South Carolina

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina currently has 26 inmates on death row, including Stephen Stanko, whose death warrant was issued Friday by the state Supreme Court.

Stanko, who is set to be executed on June 13, killed two people in 2005 in Horry and Georgetown counties: his girlfriend, 43-year-old Laura Ling of Murrells Inlet, and his friend, 74-year-old Henry Turner of Conway.

Stanko would be the sixth inmate killed in South Carolina since an unintended 13-year pause on executions ended in September 2024. The state struggled for years to get the drugs needed for lethal injections until it passed a shield law that allowed the execution procedures, and the names of the drug supplier and execution team members, to remain secret.

Five South Carolina inmates have been executed since the state resumed executions in September: Mikal Deen Mahdi by a firing squad on April 11; Brad Keith Sigmon by a firing squad on March 7; Marion Bowman Jr. by lethal injection on Jan. 31; Richard Bernard Moore by lethal injection on Nov. 1; and Freddie Eugene Owens by lethal injection on Sept. 20.

Across the U.S., 16 executions have taken place in 2025, with at least six more scheduled before Stanko is set to die.

Here is a list of the 26 prisoners currently on death row in South Carolina. All but one — Mitchell Carlton Sims — are being held at the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia. They are listed in alphabetical order:

BAYAN ALEKSEY

County: Orangeburg

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 1, 1998

Aleksey is accused of shooting and killing Sgt. Franklin Lingard on New Year’s Eve in 1997 after Lingard stopped Aleksey’s Ford Mustang.

Aleksey shot Lingard through the driver’s side of the car. There was a woman and two children in the vehicle at the time.

The shooting led to a chase, during which Aleksey held a gun to his head and threatened to kill himself if law enforcement approached him. He then drove off again and was stopped after an officer deliberately crashed into the Mustang.

Aleksey has given two conflicting statements to law enforcement. In the first, he claims the woman was driving the car and shot Lingard, before swapping seats with Aleksey. In the second, he confessed to the shooting.

STEVEN VERNON BIXBY

County: Abbeville

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Feb. 21, 2007

The Bixby family started threatening South Carolina Department of Transportation officials in 2003 after the department planned to take advantage of a right of way on the family’s property during the construction of SC-72.

The Bixby said they would “fight to the death” if SCDOT attempted to do construction work on the site, and that they’d kill law enforcement officials who “trespassed” on the property.

Bixby killed Deputy Danny Wilson and Constable Donnie Ouzts days later. Dozens of law enforcement were sent to the property, and Bixby was arrested after a gunfight.

Bixby has had several disciplinary sanctions in prison, including for threatening to hurt an employee and for hitting an employee, according to prison records.

RICKY LEE BLACKWELL SR.

County: Spartanburg

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: March 17, 2014

Blackwell was convicted of shooting and killing an 8-year-old girl in July 2008, after his wife left him. The girl, Brooke Center, was the daughter of his wife’s new boyfriend.

Blackwell flagged his wife down after he went to her parents’ house. She got out of the car to secure a dog and turned around to see that Blackwell had grabbed Brooke and had a gun pointed at the child.

Court documents state that Blackwell told his wife that she had “pushed this to far” and “did this.” After shooting the girl multiple times, he ran into the woods and shot himself in the stomach. He was found guilty of kidnapping and murder.

STEPHEN CORY BRYANT

County: Sumter

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Oct. 31, 2005

Bryant murdered three people during an eight-day crime spree in October 2004. He’d go to isolated, rural homes in the middle of the day claiming that he was looking for someone or was having car trouble. He later returned to a home, cut its phone wires and stole a gun. The same day, he shot a man in the back while the man was fishing along the Wateree River.

He then killed an acquaintance, left the body on a rural road and stole electronics from the man’s trailer before setting it on fire. Two days later, he went to another home, shot a man nine times and stole more items. He answered calls made to the man’s phone and told the man’s wife and daughter that he was the “prowler.”

He wrote the word “catch” on a wall in blood. He wrote “victim number four in two weeks, catch me if you can,” on another wall.

A few days later, he shot and killed another man who he met at a convenience store.

While awaiting trial, he threatened one correctional officer and then attacked and seriously injured another. While incarcerated, he has been disciplined for fighting.

LUZENSKI ALLEN COTTRELL

County: Marion

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: April 7, 2005

Myrtle Beach Officer Joe McGarry was getting coffee with another officer in December 2002 when he spotted Cottrell. Cottrell was a suspect in the murder of Rick Hartman, whose body was found a month earlier. McGarry and the officer approached Cottrell outside, and asked him about a case he was previously involved in.

While waiting to see if Cottrell had active warrants on him, McGarry patted down Cottrell, who then ran away. The two got into a scuffle and Cottrell shot McGarry, who fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement.

Cottrell was arrested after a gunfight with police and a car chase.

DONNIE COUNCIL

County: Aiken

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Oct. 23, 1996

Council had hogtied and duct tapped Elizabeth Gatti, a 72-year-old widow, whose body was found underneath a bedspread in her basement. In addition to suffocating her, Council was convicted of sexually assaulting her. A pathologist told a jury at trial that he had also forced her to drink cleaning fluids.

She survived for two to four hours after being sexually assaulted. Her body was found in the ransacked house after a neighbor noticed she hadn’t gotten her newspaper that morning.

WILLIAM DICKERSON

County: Charleston

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: May 7, 2009

William Dickerson and other men are accused of torturing Gerard Roper for 36 hours in March 2006. Roper, who owed Dickerson money, begged for his life.

Dickerson initially shot at Roper, missed and then hit him in the head with his gun and dragged him into a car.

During the torture, Roper’s teeth were knocked out when he was hit with a gun. While multiple men tortured Roper, prosecutors said that Dickerson was the main aggressor. He was accused of choking Roper, tying him up, placing him in a closet, sodomizing him with a gun and broomstick, burning his scrotum, hitting him with a heavy vase and a mirror, and cutting him.

Roper received more than 200 individual, external wounds and had several internal injuries. Dickerson is accused of making multiple calls during the torture, telling people what was happening.

Dickerson was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct. While in prison, he has been disciplined for hitting and threatening employees.

RON O’NEAL FINKLEA

County: Lexington

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 7, 2007

Finklea shot and killed Walter Sykes, a security guard at Selectron, in August 2003. Once inside the facility, Finklea let another man — who was carrying a gasoline can — into the building to douse an ATM with gasoline.

Soon after, Sykes, who was on fire and bleeding from his neck, ran from the building. He died on the front lawn from his burns and gunshot wounds to his face and neck. Video from the sites shows that Finklea shot Sykes and set him on fire.

After being arrested, Finklea tried to kill himself in his cell, which led to him sustaining a brain injury. He claims that he has amnesia and cannot remember what happened the day of the murder. A physician who examined him found that there was evidence of brain damage, and that Finklea likely wasn’t faking memory loss.

MAR-REECE HUGHES

County: York

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 25, 1995

Hughes stole a car from two college students at gunpoint in September 1992 in Charlotte. Hughes, along with Eric Forney, drove the car to Rock Hill, where they were stopped by law enforcement for driving without their headlights on.

Forney and Hughes shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Brent McCants. Forney, who has claimed that Hughes was the shooter, has been sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors pursued the death penalty.

While in prison awaiting trial, Hughes killed his sleeping cellmate by stabbing him in the throat with a shank. He was stabbing another inmate when he was stopped by prison guards.

While incarcerated, he has been disciplined for at least two instances of threatening to harm an employee. He also attempted to escape in July 1999.

JERRY BUCK INMAN

County: Pickens

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: June 9, 2006

Inman murdered Tiffany Marie Souers, a Clemson University student, in May 2006. Souers’ partially-clothed body was found by her roommate. She had been sexually assaulted and died after Inman strangled her with a bathing suit top.

Inman then tried to use her ATM card at two different machines. He was caught after his evidence was run through the National DNA Database, which already contained his information due to previous sexual offenses.

JEROME JENKINS JR.

County: Horry

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: May 17, 2019

Jenkins shot and killed two clerks during separate robberies at Sunhouse stores in 2015.

While awaiting trial, he displayed threatening behavior at maximum security facilities, including throwing feces at employees, according to information presented at his trial.

TIMOTHY RAY JONES

County: Lexington

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 12, 2014

Jones killed his five children — 8-year-old Merah, 7-year-old Elias, 6-year-old Nahtahn, 2-year-old Gabriel and 1-year-old Abigail Elaine — in 2014. Their bodies were found in trash bags in a field in Alabama days later.

He strangled at least four of the children, who he has said he killed after Nahtahn accidentally died after doing exercises as punishment. He had custody of the children at the time and had previously been reported to state authorities for child abuse.

He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming that he had schizophrenia.

MARION A. LINDSEY

County: Spartanburg

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: May 25, 2004

Lindsey shot and killed his wife, Ruby Nell Lindsey, who was in a car with a friend and the women’s two children.

The car was in the parking lot of a police department, where the Ruby’s friend had driven, after being approached by Lindsey. Lindsey pointed his gun at an officer, who fired four rounds and wounded Lindsey.

Lindsey had hit Ruby multiple times in front of witnesses while they were married. In one instance, he beat her in a restaurant parking lot and left before an officer could arrest him. He had previously threatened to kill her.

The night before the murder, he was arrested on a warrant for criminal domestic violence and was released on a $1,000 bond.

TYREE ALPHONSO ROBERTS

County: Beaufort

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Oct. 23, 2003

Roberts killed Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies Dyke Coursen and Dana Tate when they responded to a trailer after Roberts’ romantic partner tried to leave him. When authorities arrived, Roberts hid in the bedroom closet with a rifle, and shot the deputies when they were searching the bedroom.

While running away, Roberts told a woman — who he also had a daughter with –who was staying at the trailer “I just killed those two white b—— and I’m going to say it was self-defense.”

Coursen had been shot six times. Tate had been shot seven times. Roberts was found hiding in mud underneath a bridge with a shoulder and hip wound.

He has been disciplined twice in prison for threatening employees.

JAMES D. ROBERTSON

County: York

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: March 27, 1999

Robertson was sentenced to death after killing his parents, Earl and Terry Robertson, in March 1997. He was also convicted of armed robbery and financial transaction card fraud.

He stabbed his mother to death, blinded his father with bathroom cleaner, and then crushed his skull with a hammer and a baseball bat.

MITCHELL CARLTON SIMS

County: Berkeley

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: June 28, 1989

Sims killed John Harrigan, a Domino’s Pizza employee, while Harrigan was delivering Sims and his girlfriend a pizza a at motel room in 1985. He also tried to killed two other Domino’s employees after showing up to the store wearing Harrigan’s shirt.

Although Sims had managed a Domino’s in West Columbia, and then was a delivery driver in Hanahan, he committed the murder in California.

Sims had resigned from the business after part of his bonus was withheld. He had told his girlfriend that he planned to use explosives to kill his former boss.

After killing Harrigan, he drove to a Domino’s Pizza and tied two employees up in the cooler. They were required them to stand on their tiptoes to avoid being strangled. He also robbed the store.

Harrigan’s body was found in a bathtub with his wrists and ankles bound, his head covered with a pillow case that had been tied around his neck, and a washcloth in his mouth, which was held in place by sock that had been tied around his head. A pathologist determined that Harrigan might have drowned.

He is currently held outside of the death row facility.

FRED SINGLETON

County: Newberry

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 19, 1983

Family member found 73-year-old Elizabeth Sease Lominick’s body in her bedroom in September 1982. She had been strangled with a bedsheet and sexually assaulted.

Singleton was arrested in Georgetown County with her jewelry and car.

Singleton was convicted of murder, burglary, larceny, grand larceny of a motor vehicle and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER STANKO

County: Georgetown

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Oct. 18, 2006

Stanko murdered his girlfriend, Laura Ling, and Henry Turner in 2005. He also raped and assaulted Ling’s teenage daughter.

After killing Ling, he killed 74-year-old Turner. Stanko was later arrested in Georgia. He had previously been convicted of kidnapping and assault.

NORMAN STARNES

County: Lexington

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: April 25, 1997

Starnes murdered Bill Welborn and Jared Champlain after they went to eat at his restaurant in January 1996. When they didn’t return home, their girlfriends reported them missing, and police received leads in May 1996 that led authorities to the bodies.

The night of the murder, Starnes took money out of the cash register three times. He told his girlfriend that Welborn had pistol whipped him in the bathroom, and Starnes said he’d kill them. He later told his girlfriend that he killed the men during a drug deal.

After shooting and killing the two, Starnes urinated on them, placed their bodies in his truck and drove into the woods. When the bodies began to smell, he dug up the graves and covered the bodies with lime. His girlfriend eventually tipped off law enforcement and told them where the bodies were buried.

While the men were missing, Starnes had appeared on TV asking for help finding the two.

BOBBY WAYNE STONE

County: Sumter

Date to Department of Corrections: Jan. 28, 1997

Stone was convicted of shooting and killing Sgt. Charles Kubala, after Kubala responded to multiple calls at a property where Stone was wandering with a gun. Kubala was shot in the ear and neck.

Authorities found Stone in the woods with the murder weapon. He claimed that the shooting was an accident.

GARY DUBOSE TERRY

County: Lexington

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Sept. 19, 1997

Terry beat 47-year-old Urai Jackson to death in her home in 1994. When authorities arrived, they found that a window had been broken out and that telephone wires were pulled from the phone box. She had been sexually assaulted and had several wounds to her head.

Terry claimed that he had consensual sex with Jackson and that she got angry when he tried to leave. He told authorities that he hit her several times and then left, but later told authorities that he involuntarily gave his statement.

ANDRES ANTONIO TORRES

County: Spartanburg

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Oct. 24, 2008

Torres was convicted of killing his neighbors, Ray and Mary Ann Emery, in 2007. The Emerys were bludgeoned to death with a hammer. He also attempted to burn down their home.

He was convicted of two counts of murder, two counts of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree arson.

His defense argued that he had a history of mental illness, including intermittent explosive disorder.

While in prison, he has been disciplined at least three times for threatening employees.

JAMES WILLIAM WILSON

County: Greenwood

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: May 11, 1989

At 19, Wilson shot and killed two elementary school students, wounded seven other children and injured two employees, during a school shooting at Oakland Elementary School in 1988.

He picked his victims at random, firing into the cafeteria until his gun was out of bullets. He then reloaded his gun in a restroom, went into a classroom and continued shooting. A teacher detained him until police arrived.

He pleaded guilty, but mentally ill.

While in prison, he has been disciplined for threatening employees and for throwing/exposing substances on multiple occasions.

LOUIS MICHAEL WINKLER

County: Horry

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Feb. 8, 2008

Winkler kidnapped and sexually assaulted his wife, Rebekah Grainger Winkler, in October 2005, and murdered her five months later.

When she was found, Rebekah’s hair was ripped out, she had black eyes, a broken nose, bruising around her neck and a bite mark to her face. She was taken to a hospital.

Winkler’s bond was initially denied, and was then set to $150,000 on a second bond hearing. He was also required to wear an ankle monitor.

He then kicked in her door, assaulted her son and shot her in the face at point-blank range. He was arrested after hiding in the woods for two weeks. His wallet included a newspaper clipping about the murder.

JOHN RICHARD WOOD

County: Greenville

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Feb. 15, 2002

Wood killed Trooper Eric Nicholson in 2000 after Nicholson conducted a traffic stop on Wood, who was on a moped. Nicholson was shot five times.

Witnesses to the shooting followed Wood as he drove away. He entered a parking lot, got into a Jeep, and then led police on a chase. He shoot at police during the chase, and hit one in the face with a bullet fragment.

He was taken into custody after hijacking a truck.

While in prison, he has been disciplined for hitting an employee and has multiple counts of threatening employees.

ANTHONY WOODS

County: Clarendon

Date to South Carolina Department of Corrections: Dec. 8, 2006

Joanne Dubose, a 53-year-old teacher, was found dead in June 2003. A sheet was tied around her neck, her arm was tied down and her body was decomposing.

Woods was arrested the next day in connection to the burglary at a different house. DNA testing and an analysis of his shoeprint connected him to the murder.

Authorities determined that Dubose was strangled and was murdered two days before her body was found. She had potentially been sexually assaulted, but the state of her body made it difficult to detect signs of trauma.

His first trial ended with a hung jury and a mistrial. He was retried in 2006 and found guilty.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this story.