(LibertyInsider.org) – A South Carolina man went on a killing spree in South and North Carolina in 2002, killing five people, three in South Carolina and two in North Carolina. Quincy Allen pleaded guilty to the murders in both states and received the death sentence in South Carolina. A federal court overturned the sentence in 2022. Now, around 20 years after his initial conviction, a judge has approved a resentencing plea agreement submitted by prosecutor Byron Gipson, commuting the death sentence to life in prison without parole.
After Allen’s capture in Texas and subsequent guilty pleas to the murder charges against him, a North Carolina judge sentenced him to life in prison, while South Carolina Judge G. Thomas Cooper pronounced a death sentence. However, the Fourth Circuit Appellate Court overturned Cooper’s sentence in July 2022, saying he failed to account for Allen’s severe psychological problems and childhood trauma.
A man who spent nearly two decades on South Carolina's death row for killing two people has been granted life in prison without parole two years after a federal court overturned his original sentence.https://t.co/AjXwoKJ0cO
— ABC News 4 (@ABCNews4) July 23, 2024
Before proceeding with a retrial, Gipson asked family members of Allen’s victims whether they still wanted him to pursue a death sentence. The families asked the prosecutor to pursue a life sentence without parole. While Gipson believed that Allen’s actions justified the death sentence, he said he would honor the victims’ families’ wishes.
However, not everyone agrees. Leon Lott, the Richland County Sheriff whose office investigated the South Carolina killings, said, “He will kill again. He likes it.” He called Allen “A lucky man,” adding that the prosecutor only amended the sentence “because the system wore the victims down.” He said, “This is 22 years later; they are tired, and the system shouldn’t be this way.”
Allen’s attorneys appealed the death sentence because they pointed out that their client suffered severe mental illness, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a history of suicide attempts after enduring an extremely abusive childhood. During sentencing, Cooper stated he didn’t believe the reports regarding Allen’s mental illness.
During the court appearance for the plea deal, Allen apologized for his crimes. Under the terms of a July 22 plea agreement, he waived his rights to any future appeals, post-conviction relief, or other review methods.
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