10th Circuit Solicitor

February 7, 2014

(Anderson, SC). Twenty-one year old Javon Palmer pled guilty on February 6, 2014 to multiple charges relating to two armed robberies in February and March of 2013. The Honorable “Ned” Miller sentenced Palmer to 30 years suspended to 18 years in prison to be followed by 5 years probation.  

On February 5, 2013, the defendant along with others entered the Arby’s on Pearman Dairy Road in Anderson. Armed with handguns, the defendant robbed the restaurant taking all the cash in the store. On March 11, 2013, the defendant and others went back to the same restaurant at closing time, once again armed with handguns, to commit an armed robbery. The victims advised that they were then forced to the back of the restaurant. When one of the victims attempted to flee, he was shot in the leg. Further investigation led to the arrest of Javon Palmer and others.  

“Javon Palmer’s actions terrorized several innocent victims who were just doing their job,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams.  “It is clear by his committing a second robbery and by shooting one of the victims that Javon would have continued to be a violent threat to our community.  These actions called for this lengthy prison sentence which will have Javon behind bars until he is almost 40 years old.”

February 4, 2014

(Anderson, SC) Charlie Gene Wood received a twenty-year sentence today in Anderson General Sessions Court following his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Renee Charping in 2011. The Honorable Edward Miller presided.

On December 6, 2011, Anderson County deputies responded to a call regarding a deceased female, who was eventually identified as Renee Charping, 42 years of age, located outside of her car at 727 Little Mountain Road in Anderson County.  Two bystanders had initially located the body and also found an infant child in the back of the car who had not been harmed.  They took the baby to their home until the deputies arrived.  Charlie Gene Wood was identified as one of the last persons to have been seen with the victim when she was alive.  According to witnesses, the victim had come into contact with the Defendant when she was looking to buy meth and the two drove off in her car together, with the baby in the backseat.  Two receipts for pseudoephedrine were located in the car, and investigators were able to obtain surveillance videos from the pharmacies wherein the victim was seen buying the pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used in the manufacturing of methamphetamines. Several other witnesses report seeing the Defendant after the incident would have occurred and stated he was acting strangely and had made an admission of sorts regarding having killed Charping.  When questioned by law enforcement, the Defendant claimed that Charping was setting him up and that she pulled a gun on him and tried to rob him. However, he also stated that he blacked out and did not know what happened. The Defendant’s fingerprint was located in the victim’s blood on the window of her car and his jacket with his ID was also located at the crime scene.  Autopsy results showed the victim died as a result of massive blunt force trauma from multiple blows to the head. The toxicology reports indicate that the victim did have meth in her system, with levels suggesting recent use.

“The vicious nature of the crime, plus the fact that a baby was in the back seat when it happened, demanded that Mr. Wood be punished severely,” stated Solicitor Chrissy Adams.  “We hope this brings the family of Renee Charping some sense of justice and closure. We want to assure our community that the law is in place to protect all people, regardless of circumstances.”

January 30, 2014

 (Walhalla, SC). Twenty-two year old Jessie Wayne Davis was convicted of

multiple counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor, 1st degree and 3rd

degree today in Oconee General Sessions Court. The Honorable Alex

Macaulay sentenced Davis to life in prison. 

On January 4, 2013, law enforcement responded to a call regarding

allegations of the sexual assault of two minor children, ages 6 and 10, at an

address in Westminster, SC. The defendant had been residing in the home of

the 10-year old victim and the younger victim was a neighbor. Physical

evidence found at the scene corroborated statements given by the victims.

Both victims showed evidence of injury consistent with sexual trauma. The

defendant also gave incriminating statements when interviewed by officers

from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. 

“Preying on innocent children is the most despicable thing an individual can

do,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “Today, we put a child molester behind

bars because these two brave children did what can sometimes be difficult

for a child to do and that is tell an adult about their abuse and confront their

attacker in court. For that bravery, our community is grateful. It is my hope

that knowing Jessie Wayne Davis will be serving the rest of his life in

prison, these victims and their families can recover from the trauma they’ve

had to endure because of him. I also want to take this opportunity to thank

the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office for their excellent work in this case.

Their collection of evidence and thorough investigation were instrumental in  

the outcome of this trial.”

December 11, 2013

(ANDERSON, SC). Jonathan Craig Roe pled guilty today in Anderson General Sessions Court to Murder in the death of his wife in January of 2013. The Honorable Alex Macaulay sentenced Roe to 40 years in prison.  

On January 6, 2013, Jonathan Craig Roe contacted law enforcement in Lower Allen, Pennsylvania, telling them that he had shot and killed his wife in Iva, SC. He was arrested shortly thereafter by Lower Allen Police who immediately contacted law enforcement in South Carolina. Roe was extradited to Anderson County where he has been awaiting trial.  

“By his own admission, Jonathan Craig Roe is a violent man,” stated Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “Nothing the justice system does can bring Sonja Roe back to her family but hopefully her family can begin to heal knowing that her killer will be behind bars for the next 40 years.”

December 5, 2013

(Anderson, SC) .An Anderson County jury found John Kennedy guilty today in the murder of Claude “Schaffer” Scott. The Honorable Cordell Maddox sentenced Kennedy to 30 years in prison. 

On March 30, 2012, deputies responded to a call on Echo Circle in Anderson regarding an injured man found inside his home. Deputies found the victim, 76 year old Claude Schaffer Scott, lying inside the doorway of his home severely beaten. A neighbor had come by to check on him when she encountered a black male later identified as John Fitzgerald Kennedy coming from behind the trailer where Mr. Scott lived. Kennedy had been staying in a camper belonging to the victim on the same property. The neighbor stated that Kennedy drove away from the scene in the victim’s automobile. The vehicle was later found on South Main Street in Anderson. A frying pan found at the scene was believed to be the murder weapon. Mr. Scott was transported to AnMed Medical Center where he made a statement to an Anderson County detective identifying his attacker. The victim died a short time later. 

“Today’s verdict is justice for Mr. Scott and his family,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams.  “John Kennedy violently attacked and murdered an elderly man who had allowed him to stay on his property.  These reprehensible actions are well deserving of the sentence handed down today.  I want to thank law enforcement for their quick apprehension of the defendant and the men and women of the jury for rendering the only possible verdict in this case, a verdict that will protect others in our community from further violence by John Kennedy.”

November 4, 2013

(Anderson, SC). Steven Randall Cobb pled guilty today in Anderson General Sessions Court to Voluntary Manslaughter. The Honorable Cordell Maddox sentenced him to 23 years in prison. 

On July 11, 2011, the defendant was a passenger in a vehicle belonging to Raymond Diehl. A second passenger in the car stated that the defendant and Diehl began arguing when Cobb pulled out a pistol and shot Diehl 7 times. The victim crashed the car into a fence. Mr. Diehl stumbled onto the roadway where he was found a couple of hours later by a paper route driver. The victim died on the way to the hospital. Both the defendant and the second passenger escaped the scene through the windows of the wrecked car. Cobb made threats against the family of the second passenger if he said anything about the incident. Once they made it to the defendant’s mother’s home, the defendant got into the shower and the eyewitness called for friends to come pick him up. The witness then contacted law enforcement and gave them a statement about what had transpired. All of the forensic evidence supported the statement of the witness that Cobb had in fact killed Diehl. 

“Steven Randall Cobb has been in trouble with the law for many years,” stated Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “His criminal history is extensive and has become increasingly more violent. Today’s sentence will keep him off the streets of Anderson County for a very long time.”

October 2, 2013

(Anderson, SC). Stanley “Shawn” Davis pled guilty today in Anderson General Sessions Court to the murder of his mother in January of this year. The Honorable Lawton McIntosh sentenced Davis to 30 years in prison. 

On January 1, 2013, deputies were dispatched to the residence of Debra and Stanley Davis in the Wren community following a call from a neighbor. Mrs. Davis had gone to the neighbor’s house and told him that her son had set her on fire. EMS transported Mrs. Davis to Greenville Memorial Hospital where she was later transferred to the Augusta Burn Center. She died approximately 6 weeks later while still at the Burn Center. The defendant was shot by his brother later in the day of the attack on Mrs. Davis. Shawn Davis was charged with attempted murder after his release from the hospital. The charge was upgraded to Murder following Mrs. Davis’ death in February.  

Stanley Davis, 62, father of the defendant, died in May of natural causes. 

“We want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Debra and Stanley Davis,” stated Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “Even while suffering the pain of her severe burns, Mrs. Davis prayed for her son. Hers was a truly extraordinary love for her child, even in the face of such an evil act. For the next 30 years, Shawn Davis will be locked behind bars and have to live with the knowledge that he took the life of someone who loved him so much that she forgave him even as she suffered.”

September 3, 2013

Walhalla, SC.) Former Secret Service agent and candidate for Oconee County Sheriff, James Richard “Rick” Bartee was convicted by an Oconee County jury for Solicitation to Commit a Felony (the kidnapping of former Circuit Court Judge James C. Williams). The Honorable Lawton McIntosh sentenced Bartee to 10 years suspended to 5 years in prison and 5 years probation.  While on probation he is to complete 250 hours of community service and also undergo a psychiatric evaluation. 

In May of 2011, approximately 1 year before the Republican primary, James Bartee stated that he was approached about the possibility of running for Sheriff of Oconee County. At that time questions arose regarding his eligibility to become the Sheriff due to his lack of having served for a year as an officer certified by the State of South Carolina.  Bartee contacted Brandy Duncan, general counsel for the Criminal Justice Academy via email on May 25, 2011, at which time she advised that he would not qualify but should he become employed with a local State agency for a year, this requirement would be met and that there was sufficient time to meet that qualification requirement if done immediately. In spite of this advice, Bartee continued to mount a campaign for Sheriff.

Former Circuit Court Judge James C. Williams, acting as a concerned citizen and resident of Oconee County questioned Mr. Bartee via email regarding his eligibility to serve as Sheriff due to his lack of qualifications per SC law .Bartee continued to assert that he was qualified and claimed in a recorded press interview in March of 2012 that he had been told he was qualified by Senator Alexander’s office and Brandy Duncan with the Criminal Justice Academy.  However, testimony in court revealed that this was not the case. Judge Williams, who testified that he did not want the taxpayers of Oconee to have to go through a second election when Mr. Bartee was found to be unqualified to serve, sent Bartee several emails in April of 2012 questioning his qualifications, and on May 22, 2012 filed a civil suit to remove Bartee from the ballot.

Bartee embellished his record with the Secret Service during his entire campaign claiming on his website and on campaign literature that he had an unblemished record and that he served 25 years as a Senior Special agent.  Personnel records from the Secret Service showed that he had been disciplined while serving as an agent and that he had been suspended for 3 days for an altercation with an employee of a gas station where racial remarks were alleged.  Personnel records also showed, and Bartee admitted on the stand, that he had less than 10 years as a Senior Special Agent with the Secret Service.  

The race for Oconee County Sheriff became quite heated.  Bartee developed a following which included Nick Blackwell. Blackwell volunteered to put up signs and do whatever Bartee needed. Phone records show that Bartee was in frequent contact with Blackwell during the time that candidate Donnie Fricks and Blackwell had an altercation at Mayfest in Walhalla on May 12, 2012.  Blackwell testified that Bartee had instructed him to hand out flyers with information about Fricks’s history and also to ask certain questions at forums. The questions were designed to elicit information which would be damaging to the other candidates. Blackwell did as he was told.

On May 24, 2012 the first hearing was held in Walhalla in front of the Honorable Cordell Maddox in the civil suit.  The transcript from that hearing indicates that Judge Maddox was leaning toward ruling Bartee unqualified to run for Sheriff.  The second hearing was scheduled for May 30, 2012 where Judge Maddox intended to make a final ruling on removing Bartee from the ballot.   At this point, Bartee had $76,000 of his own money invested into his campaign.

“First, I want to thank the jury for their service in this case and for reaching the only conclusion possible based on the evidence,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams.  “Elections are contentious but the threat of violence to gain political office has no place in our democratic society.  Today’s guilty verdict and sentencing will allow our community to finally put a close to the divisions and animosity that resulted from Mr. Bartee’s actions. It is disappointing that Mr. Bartee, who sought to serve as Sheriff, intentionally broke the law to further his own campaign.  Fortunately Judge Williams was not harmed and today, ultimately justice was served.”          

August 15, 2013

(Anderson, SC). Fifty-eight year old Robert H. Alverson, Jr. pled guilty today in Anderson General Sessions Court to two counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. The Honorable Edward Miller sentenced Alverson to 3 years suspended on 1 year HIP (home incarceration program) with 4 years probation & no contact with either victim.

The State agreed to recommend that the defendant plead guilty to 2 counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (1 count for each of the victims) after reviewing all the available evidence after 14 – 29 years have passed since the incidents took place.

The defendant met both victims through The ACT Theatre, one between 1984 and 1985 and the other between 1997 and 1999.  The victims disclosed that the defendant forced them to engage in oral and anal intercourse at various locations in Anderson County.  Law enforcement’s investigation of each case was unable to produce any physical evidence after all these years and no witnesses have come forward to testify that they observed the abuse.    

“The evidence we have in this case makes proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial highly unlikely,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “Unfortunately, after all of these years no physical evidence exists that can be presented at trial.  The evidence also shows that, as adults, each of the victims chose to share an apartment with the defendant in New York for some period of time.  Our office must rely on the facts that would be admissible in court and based on those facts and the history of consensual relationships as adults with both victims, we are confident that our decision in regards to this guilty plea is the best and only resolution to this case.”