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South Carolina’s court of appeals has denied the petition of a convicted murderer prematurely released from incarceration last spring by retiring circuit court judge Casey Manning. Gang leader Jeroid J. Price had served 19 years of his 35-year “mandatory minimum” prison sentence when Manning released him via a sealed order at the request of powerful lawyer-legislator Todd Rutherford.
This shady, backroom deal was exclusively exposed by this media outlet, and the ensuing uproar revived calls for reform of South Carolina’s badly broken judicial system.
After the state supreme court vacated Manning’s extra-legal, unconstitutional directive, Price was apprehended 78 days later and returned to the custody of the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC).
Price was convicted of murder in 2003 for the gang-related nightclub shooting of Carl Smalls – a football player at the University of North Carolina. The shooting occurred at Club Voodoo in Columbia on December 7, 2002. Price, a street leader of the Bloods gang, claimed Smalls was a rival gang member – and that he disrespected Price on the dance floor.
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After the club closed that night, Price – who claimed to be assisting with security – stood guard while money was counted. He was armed with a .40 caliber pistol.
Observing him nearby, Price rushed Smalls and a struggle ensued in which Smalls allegedly grabbed Price’s gun. Smalls was shot three times. Ryan Brooks, co-defendant and one of Price’s fellow gang members, fired the first shot. Price subsequently shot Smalls two more times – killing him.
The jury found Price guilty of murder after one hour of deliberations.
Price’s petition for a writ of certiorari (i.e. a request for a higher court to review a lower court’s decision) was filed on July 20, 2022. It argued S.C. circuit court judge Diane Schafer-Goodstein erred when she denied his request for a new trial in a hearing for post-conviction relief held on November 12, 2019. At that hearing, Price claimed he acted out of self-defense in killing Smalls – a claim supported by the introduction of a new witness to the shooting.
(Click to view)
The petition contended the testimony of the new witness would have changed the outcome of the trial – and that the circuit court’s decision to deny post-conviction relief was an abuse of discretion.
Granting the petition would have allowed Price a hearing to review his claim – the first step in him potentially getting a new trial.
At the same time the petition was filed, Price’s attorney, Joanna Delany – an appellate defender with the South Carolina Office of Appellate Defense – filed a petition to be relieved as counsel. Delany said the appeal was “without legal merit sufficient to warrant new trial.”
The order filed on March 1, 2024 by the state appeals court agreed with Delany. It further noted that Price has not filed a pro se petition.
Price’s 35-year sentence for the murder of Smalls was handed down by former S.C. circuit court judge Reggie Lloyd. It was affirmed by the S.C. supreme court in 2006, meaning Price was supposed to remain behind bars until 2038 – consistent with South Carolina’s mandatory minimums on murder convictions.
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THE ORDER …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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