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Authorities arrested a man Wednesday who had been on the run for 11 weeks after the South Carolina Supreme Court revoked an unannounced deal that cut 16 years off his 35-year murder sentence.
Following an 11-week search, authorities found Jeroid Price in a New York City apartment after South Carolina investigators received a tip. Price, 43, was arrested without violence, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a statement.
He was released from prison in March after Democratic state Rep. Todd Rutherford, who is also Price’s defense attorney, and prosecutor Byron Gipson made a deal with a judge to cut Price’s prison sentence. But no public hearing was held on the deal, and the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled 3-2 to revoke his prison release in April.
Authorities said Pirce was ordered to return to jail immediately but had disappeared around the time the order was voided.
The order, which cut 16 years off of Price’s 35-year murder sentence, was signed by now-retired Circuit Judge Casey Manning, The State reported. “He was aware the Supreme Court had made its ruling,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said at a news conference Wednesday.
Price is expected to be returned to South Carolina to finish the remainder of his prison sentence, the state Department of Corrections announced.
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Jeroid Price provided information for secret deal
Prosecutors and Rutherford agreed to the deal after Price reported an escaped inmate serving a life sentence, and protected two prison guards from injuries during attacks. Under state law, prison sentences can be reduced when inmates provide information to help prison officials.
When Price’s prison release was revoked on April 26, justices were alarmed by the number of years reduced from his sentence and that there was no public records of his release, The State reported. Justices were also dismayed that the deal was kept a secret, including from the parents of the man Price killed in 2002 and the deputies who investigated the murder.
Rutherford said the deal had been unannounced to prevent other prisoners from attacking Price.
Wilson said the state Attorney General’s Office is reviewing whether Price will face charges for not turning himself in.
“Obviously he did not break out of prison. He was released legally but then he ran once the order releasing him was vacated,” Wilson said. “I want to look at this with our team and make a decision.”
The parents of Carl Smalls Jr., the man who Price killed, shouted with joy when they heard Price was back in police custody, said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
“The Smalls family has endured enough pain and they don’t want anymore victims to go through what they have,” Lott said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that so many resources were wasted on finding Price. Our criminal justice system has failed.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
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