Man Gets 28 Years For Killing His Friend
August 10, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
COLUMBIA, S.C., Aug. 10 (UPI) — A white South Carolina man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for shooting his black friend and then dragging the body behind his pickup truck.
Gregory Collins, 20, of Newberry County, S.C., pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, desecration of human remains and possession of a firearm in the death of Anthony Hill on June 2, 2010, The State in Columbia, S.C., reported Wednesday.
The case has stirred racial tension in the county with some residents questioning why Collins was not charged with a hate crime.
Prosecutor Jerry Peace said the incident had nothing to do with race.
“What it boils down to is friends, alcohol and guns,” Peace said. “We see this all the time. Alcohol and guns just don’t mix.”
Because South Carolina doesn’t have a hate crime law some residents have urged the federal government to pursue the case.
U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles urged residents to be patient.
“We’ve paid very close attention to the state’s case, and we have the utmost confidence in Solicitor Jerry Peace solving it at the state level,” Nettles said.
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