BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — A man has been sentenced to 40 years behind bars for his role in the 2018 prison riot in Lee County that was the deadliest in South Carolina history.
The jury took less than an hour Friday to find Michael Juan Smith guilty on all charges in the death of Cornelius McClary, who was an inmate at the Lee Correctional Institution. Smith had been charged with conspiracy, assault, and battery that resulted in death and possession of a weapon in prison for the April 2018 riot at Lee Correctional, which is located in Bishopville.
"We, the jury, announce the find defendant Michael Juan Smith guilty," the court reporter said.
The state and defense each made their final arguments. The state said the stabbing was not in self-defense.
"Retaliation versus self-defense. Retaliation 101 stab wounds chasing you down the stairs, and as he stumbles and falls, they leave him," the prosecution said.
The defense said Smith feared for his life.
"His friends that were slaughtered and they were told we're coming for you by 8 o'clock that evening they were coming for you," the defense said.
Shortly after the verdict, the judge handed down the sentence that will ensure he remains behind bars for decades. The judge sentenced Smith to 30 years for assault and battery by mob that resulted in death, 10 years for possession of a weapon in prison, and five years for criminal conspiracy.
After sentencing, the prosecution read a statement from the victim Cornelius McClary's mother Maryland Wilson.
"I'm unable to attend this hearing today cause I've had so many unanswered questions and cannot bear to see those responsible for what happened to my child five years ago. I've been thinking about my son all day with teary eyes and heart beating rapidly," the prosecution read.
Since the riot, SCDC said there have been updates to ensure a repeat of 2018 can not happen.
"The locks have been fixed in F5. We've got a 24-hour surveillance system now that we can watch the facility in Columbia, South Carolina," the department said.
That riot resulted in the deaths of seven inmates and injuries to over 20 others. At the time of the riot, Smith was in prison for attempted murder and weapons convictions for the 2013 shooting in Columbia's Five Points that paralyzed a former USC student. The South Carolina Supreme Court threw out Smith's sentence for that case in July 2020, but he's awaiting a new trial.
During this week's proceedings, the state showed graphic video from the night of the riot taken by surveillance cameras inside Lee Correctional. A law enforcement witness told the court Smith could be seen on video with a weapon.
Smith took the stand in his own defense Thursday, saying that life decisions that landed him in prison. The defense asked him his perception of those choices now.
"I made some bad mistakes and decisions and I wish I could take it back," Smith said tearfully on the stand.
Before this week's trial, five men pleaded guilty in the case, with 29 men charged.