Eight plead guilty to murder case charges 4/27/2009 11:20 PM By MIKE GELLATLY Staff writer
Eight men who played a part in the Christmas Eve 2007 kidnapping, torture and murder of Jeremy Leaphart admitted to the crimes Monday, and the judge started handing out harsh sentences.
"I'm going to be as lenient to him as he was to the victim," Circuit Judge Doyet "Jack" Early told Darrell Williams' attorney before he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the crime.
Frankie Gantt, 18, of Monetta, admitted to executing the victim and received a 45-year sentence for the crime which he will serve day-for-day. The other seven defendants pleaded guilty to kidnapping; three were sentenced Monday and each received 30-year sentences - the maximum term for the crime.
Leaphart, who testimony stated was cognitively delayed, was picked up by men he considered friends and taken to the home of one of them. There the 20-year-old became the victim of torture and was kidnapped, according to testimony.
When he tried to escape, Gantt shot him three times to stop him, reloaded, took him behind an abandoned building and executed him with a final round of bird shot to the neck.
The defendants believed Leaphart knew the whereabouts of several guns that the group had recently stolen. When he did not give the group the information or money that they wanted, the torture began.
The eight defendants, all wearing various shades of orange or red jumpsuits, sat in the grand jury box flanked by their neatly dressed attorneys. In unison they raised their handcuffed right hands to swear, told the court they understood their rights and admitted their part in the crime. Two defendants took issue with "the hand of one, the hand of all" premise in South Carolina law.
Chief Assistant Solicitor Bill Weeks told the court how hot irons were used and "everybody was invited to pound on him a little bit." After the torture and execution, the ordeal for the victim's body continued.
"If this isn't bad enough, what happened next was worse," Weeks said.
The body was taken from its first location, rolled up in a blanket and then taken and dumped on a trash pile outside of Batesburg.
Leaphart's legal guardians spoke to Early through a letter read by a victim's advocate.
"I prayed day and night that if they killed him, they would have had the decency to bury him. I knew he wasn't coming home alive," the letter read.
Leaphart's family offered a picture of the young man as someone who "had his struggles" but someone who was "harmless."
All three defendants who pleaded to kidnapping - Johnnie Walker, Sheldon Oakmon and Williams - received the maximum 30 years, despite pleas from attorneys and varying accounts of culpability and involvement.
Repeatedly Early asked attorneys and their clients why, if they were not as involved as others, they did not tell police what had happened and where the body was rotting.
"I don't see how I can feed him from a different spoon that have fed the rest of them," Early told Everett Chandler, attorney for Oakmon.
The remaining sentencings of Andre Norris, 27, of Batesburg; Marion Abner Jr., 20, of Ward, Ronnie Bowers Jr., 19, and John Oakmon Jr. of Batesburg, will be concluded today.
Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.
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Comment Title: All are Guilty
I know each of these defendants and have known two since they were one year old. Through my business I knew Jeremy for a few years. At the time of this incident I had a Legal Obligation to search for Jeremy. During that search I talked with five of these defendants, all denied any knowledge of his location. After three days it was clear that he was no longer alive. I began to receive bits of information from inside Lexington and Aiken County Detention Centers that led me to this group. All still denied any knowledge of Jeremy's location. Darrell(better known as Steve) being the first arrested in the case by Lexington County, called me and wanted to make a DEAL, "get me out of jail and I'll take you to Jeremy" No DEAL ! Yet he continued to deny any involvement. As days passed Jeremy was located and one by one each was arrested. Jeremy could not have defended himself against one person much less eight. Having the facts from the streets, it is safe to say one is as guilty as the other. This is not the only crime(s) this group is guilty of, there are many more. However since their arrest crime and drug trafficking in the Monetta , Ridge Spring area of Aiken County has been greatly reduced and noticed by all in the area. Each of you should have gotten Life Without Parole. It gives me a great feeling to know that none of you will see the streets of Aiken County For more than 21 years. To Mr. Bill Weeks and Ms. Debbie Truesdale of the Aiken County Solicitor's Office, I thank you more than I could ever express and am very sorry that I was unable to narrow down the Pecan Trees and the Pond thing. Had it not benn for the two of you, this might not have been cleared so quickly. Under the circumstances, it was very quick.
Posted by: A FAMILY FRIEND. On: 4/28/2009
Comment Title:
MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THIS FAMILY AS THEY GO THROUGH THIS AWFUL ORDEAL AGAIN TODAY. THESE GUYS NEED TO BE PUT BEHIND BARS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY DONE TO JEREMY AND HIS FAMILY THAT LOVED HIM. THEY DON'T DESERVE THE SENTENCE THEY GOT, THEY SHOULD ALL GET LIFE. JEREMY LOST HIS LIFE. I JUST HOPE THAT HIS FAMILY CAN REST BETTER KNOWING THAT THESE GUYS ARE GOING TO BE BEHIND BARS FOR ALONG TIME. WHAT ABOUT THE EIGTH PERSON? I NEVER SAW HIS NAME MENTIONED. JUST SEVEN. WAS HE A MINOR? SO SAD THAT SO MANY LIVES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS INCLUDING THE MURDERERS FAMILIES. I AM PRAYING FOR THEM AS WELL AS THE JEREMY'S FAMILY. RODNEY WE LOVE YOU.
Posted by: On: 4/28/2009
Comment Title:
I hope Barbara Morgan is reading this. Had it not been for the strong position of our Solicitor this case would have been pled to nothing like hundreds of other from the past. Thank you Solicitor Thurmond your staff and Judge Early. Each one of them only got part of what they deserved. I am glad each day and night they will have time to reflect on how that young man suffered before dying. Good job keep it up.
Posted by: LYN On: 4/28/2009
Comment Title:
I MET JEREMY ON ONE OCCASION AND HE WAS A VERY SWEET AND HANDSOME YOUNG MAN. AT THE TIME OF THE 2007 DISSAPEARANCE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THE YOUNG MAN THAT I HAD MET MONTHS EARLIER WHEN JEREMY'S COUSIN WAS MY NEIGHBOR. WHEN I HEARD OF THIS ON TV I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WHO DO SUCH HARM TO ANYONE. SO CRUEL. I LEARNED ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER IT WAS THE SWEEET YOUNG MAN THAT I HAD MET ONE TIME. MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF HIS FAMILY AT THIS TIME AND I KNOW IT CANNOT BE EASY FOR THEM TO BE IN THE COURRTROOM WITH THESE SICK INDIVIDUALS. I PRAY THAT HIS FAMILY CAN HAVE SOME KIND OF PEACE NOW AND IT WILL TAKE TIME. ANYONE WHO KNEW JERMEY WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE BEAUTIFUL EYES, HE WAS WONDERFUL. I LOVE YA'LL AND PRAY FOR YA'LL TO BE STRONG.
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