Walhalla, SC — A Salem man was found guilty today in Oconee General Session Court; 56-year-old Clifton Eugene Smith was tried and convicted of Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature for his role in a knife attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.
Testimony presented in court over the two-day trial showed that on December 26, 2017, Clifton Smith was riding in a vehicle with the victim, Mr. Michael Todd Reid. A verbal argument escalated until Mr. Smith eventually slashed the victim repeatedly with a pocket knife as his sat in the backseat of the car. The victim suffered from severe blood loss due to extensive lacerations to his hands, arms, chest, and thigh, and was transported from the scene directly to the Greenville Hospital trauma unit.
Circuit Court Judge R. Lawton McIntosh noted the severity of the attack, as well as Mr. Smith’s extensive history of violent crimes as he imposed a sentence of 15 years in the Department of Corrections. He will not be eligible for parole.