(Anderson, SC). Carson Rafeal Nance pled guilty today in Anderson General Sessions Court to Voluntary Manslaughter in the death of Artis Leon Valentine. The Honorable Cordell Maddox sentenced Nance to 30 years suspended to 12 years in prison and 5 years probation.
On October 27, 2014 on Sanders Street in Anderson, the victim, Artis Valentine and the defendant, who knew each other, had an altercation outside of a known drug house according to several witnesses. During the fight, the defendant punched and kicked Mr. Valentine repeatedly and then fled the scene in the victim’s car. According to autopsy results, the victim died as a result of asphyxiation due to his upper dentures blocking his airway. According to the forensic pathologist, the victim could have survived the beating had the dentures not blocked the airway, although he would have required hospitalization.