COLUMBIA, S.C. — Convicted murderer Jeroid Price will remain behind bars for the remainder of his 35-year sentence according to a new decision from the South Carolina Supreme Court, coming as a surprise to his family and legal representatives.
Todd Rutherford, the attorney for Jeroid Price is frustrated, according to the new ruling from the South Carolina Supreme Court, his client will remain in prison for 16 more years.
This stems from a March 2023 decision by circuit Judge Casey Manning which granted Price's early release after serving 19 of 35 year murder sentence.
Rutherford says Price was released early after assisting law enforcement in the capture of an escaped inmate, and now with his return to prison, Price's life is in danger.
Attorney General Allan Wilson learned about this release and issued an investigation into the decision, and in April the Supreme Court ordered Price to prison, citing objections to his release.
In July, Price was located and returned to police custody in New York.
Now, after a 3-2 vote the court ruled the decision to reduce Price's sentence was both outside the circuit court's authority and contrary to law.
"It does not recognize the danger that Jeroid Price put himself into when he gave South Carolina, via the Department of Corrections that information. It unfortunately does not recognize it does not recognize the plight that Jeroid Price currently finds himself in." He adds, "The legislature, in its infinite wisdom, did not seemingly address how to deal with situations like this, where an inmate, by giving information can his identity protected and his life protected by a system that is not always good at protecting the life of inmates."
Price's sister Tynette Reese says she was surprised to hear the news about the court's decision and was heartbroken to learn the details.
She says, "I am completely baffled, I do not believe that the Supreme Court's decision was valid and they should not have voided his early release."
Rutherford says he plans to file a petition to the solicitor in Richland County for a new hearing.
"Where notice would be given to the victims in this case, to the Department of Corrections, to those people whose lives have been saved by Jeroid Price, and have them come to a hearing where Jeroid Price can ask for his sentence to be lowered in accordance with the law in South Carolina," Rutherford said.
Reese she's had limited communication with Jeroid after his return to custody and will keep advocating for his release.
"All it does is make me want to work harder and to continue to do what I've been doing since I was 12 and 13 years old. This is not something that's going to be new for me. It's just like riding a bike; we have to get back up and start from scratch," she claims.
Rutherford said that the petition for a hearing would likely be Price's last hope at an early release.
He gave no timeline for when that would be processed.