Composite story
Larry White stands trial in Bishopville over three deaths in the 2018 Lee riot
Bishopville, South CarolinaPublished 22 Sep 2026
Larry White, 30, went on trial Sept. 21 in Lee County, accused of killing three men in the April 15, 2018, riot at Lee Correctional Institution that left seven prisoners dead.
Larry White’s trial opened Sept. 21, 2026, at the Lee County Courthouse in Bishopville. He is accused of killing three prisoners in the April 15, 2018, riot at Lee Correctional Institution, which left seven inmates dead and dozens hurt. Prosecutors say he joined a Crips and Gangster Disciples mob that targeted Bloods inmates. The defense blames conditions inside the prison. Earlier defendants include Michael Juan Smith, convicted in 2023 and sentenced to 40 years.
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SC inmate accused of killing 3 others during violent Lee prison riot to stand trial for murder
Published 21 Sep 2026 accessed 22 Sep 2026
Facts
Images show 29 men accused of 79 charges related to the April 2018 riot.
The Post and Courier called it the deadliest prison attack in the U.S. in a quarter century.
White and 29 other men were indicted in 2020 on charges ranging from contraband possession to first-degree assault and battery by a mob resulting in death.
The Bishopville riot began with Damonte Rivera, 24, stabbing Michael Milledge to death.
Additional inmates were charged later, bringing the total to at least 44 defendants.
Of those defendants, 26 have pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial.
A Lee County jury convicted Smith.
Another 16 cases remain pending.
Smith was sentenced to 40 years for actions in the riot that resulted in the death of inmate Cornelius McClary.
In 2023, Michael Juan “Flame” Smith became the first inmate tried in connection with the riot.
Rivera was then killed in retaliation as the violence exploded, according to a 2019 Post and Courier investigation.
Two defendants died.
Michael Juan Smith was charged with first-degree assault and battery by mob, possession of a weapon and criminal conspiracy.
Smith was already incarcerated for a Five Points shooting in Columbia that left a University of South Carolina student paralyzed.
Inmates slipped into Michael Milledge’s first-floor cell.
A judge had granted Milledge a new trial on his drug and gun-related charges.
The attacks after Milledge’s death lasted eight hours.
Over eight years Milledge had lived on five of South Carolina’s six maximum-security yards.
A month earlier the state Supreme Court denied Milledge’s appeal.
Before the violence, incarcerated men were playing cards in a cell-block area known as The Rock.
The dead included Milledge, Rivera, McClary, Eddie Gaskins, 32, Joshua Jenkins, 33, Raymond Scott, 28, and Corey Scott, 38.
A television broadcast of Game 1 between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder was airing.
Milledge had been devoting days in the law library to his conviction appeal.
Milledge was 44.
The Post and Courier found a mass transfer of rival gang members into Lee months earlier contributed to the melee.
The state paid $6 million to settle 81 riot-related lawsuits.
A pat-down during a traffic stop did not violate Milledge’s rights.
Milledge had been posting inspirational memes on Facebook.
The Post and Courier investigation found a lack of correctional officers to enforce basic security contributed to the riot.
The Post and Courier investigation found ineffective door locks contributed to the riot.
Milledge, a father of four, shared a post days after the appeal was denied.
Milledge’s post said, “DON’T EVER LET SUCCESS GET TO YOUR HEAD OR FAILURE GET TO YOUR HEART.”
Opinion
The Post and Courier said Larry White’s trial could be the last major one related to the riot.
The Post and Courier said Milledge had built a reputation for acquiring drugs, cellphones, weapons and money.
The Post and Courier investigation described gangs as allowed to operate with virtual impunity.
Trial begins for inmate charged in deadly Lee Correctional riot
Published 21 Sep 2026 accessed 22 Sep 2026
Facts
WIS called the riot the deadliest prison riot in state history.
The case was continued after White dismissed his attorney.
Prosecutors say White took part in a calculated attack on rival gang members.
Authorities believe the riot resulted from gang activity, overcrowding and staff shortages.
Prosecutors said White helped carry out a plan to target and kill rival gang members.
White was initially scheduled to go to trial in May.
Prosecutor Margaret Scott said White attacks, hatchets and stabs over and over, 16 times.
Prosecutors say White killed inmates Raymond Scott, Corey Scott and Joshua Jenkins.
Margaret Scott said White was part of a mob of Crips and Gangster Disciples members who used a “control, trap, kill” strategy to target Bloods inmates.
Margaret Scott said video they intend to show depicts White emerging from his cell with weapons to attack the victims.
Margaret Scott said the video has to be shown because it is actual video of the crime.
White’s defense said the violent conditions that already existed inside the prison led to the chaos.
Chris Johnson said a lack of supervision and an ongoing violent environment led to White reacting.
Chris Johnson said that environment was created by the South Carolina Department of Corrections at Lee County.
Defense attorney Chris Johnson said that environment was the reason the riot happened.
The defense argues the state cannot prove the specific intent or premeditation required for a criminal conspiracy charge.
Chris Johnson said a mob is a big part of what drives this statute.
The trial resumes Tuesday morning.
Chris Johnson told the jury there is a difference between a mob and a gang.
The state called its first four witnesses on the first day of trial.
Opinion
Margaret Scott said the video is gruesome and horrible.
Chris Johnson said many inmates lived in fear at Lee Correctional.
Trial begins in 2018 Lee Correctional Institution riot
Published 21 Sep 2026 accessed 22 Sep 2026
Facts
Larry White faces three counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob and a criminal conspiracy charge.
Jury selection is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Lee County Courthouse in Bishopville.
The assault and battery charges carry the same penalty as a murder conviction.
Opening statements and testimony could begin as soon as Monday afternoon.
Judge R. Ferrell Cochran will oversee the trial.
Opinion
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