South Carolina has once again found itself at the center of two high-profile criminal justice dramas, each carrying deep implications for victims, the accused, and the broader debate over crime and punishment in America. As autumn settles in, the state’s courtrooms are abuzz with the fallout from President Joe Biden’s sweeping commutations of federal death sentences, and the latest chapter in the notorious Alex Murdaugh financial crime saga.
On September 30, 2025, Solicitor Jimmy Richardson, the chief prosecutor in Horry County, announced that his office would seek the death penalty against Brandon Council, a 40-year-old man whose federal death sentence for killing two bank employees during a 2017 robbery was commuted to life in prison by President Biden at the end of 2024. According to The Associated Press, Council’s state murder, armed robbery, and related charges had originally been dropped in 2019 after a federal jury imposed the death penalty. But Biden’s commutation—part of a broader move affecting 37 federal inmates—prompted Richardson to obtain new indictments this August, reopening the door to a state-level capital trial.
The crime at the heart of the case was chilling: in August 2017, Council entered the CresCom Bank in Conway, South Carolina, waited a moment, then shot teller Donna Major as she tried desperately to shield herself with paperwork. He then pursued bank manager Katie Skeen into her office, shooting her in the forehead as she hid beneath her desk. Council left with $15,000, only to be arrested days later in North Carolina after buying a Mercedes with the stolen money. His confession, read in court, left little doubt about his guilt.
Families of the victims, as well as law enforcement, were outraged by Biden’s decision to commute Council’s sentence. Heather Turner, the daughter of Donna Major, vented her anguish on Facebook: “The pain and trauma we have endured over the last 7 years has been indescribable. Our judicial system is broken. Our government is a joke. Joe Biden’s decision is a clear gross abuse of power. He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” The sentiment was echoed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who called the commutations “a betrayal of the families of victims and a stain on the justice system.”
Richardson, the prosecutor, explained that the state had dropped its charges years ago to keep its options open. “If there was a bump, we could always come in and try our case. And that’s why we dismissed them. So our powder could be dry,” he told reporters after the hearing, as reported by The Associated Press.
South Carolina is not alone in this approach. In Louisiana, prosecutors refiled a first-degree murder charge against Thomas Steven Sanders—another man whose federal death sentence was commuted—so the state could pursue the death penalty. These moves highlight a growing tension between federal and state approaches to capital punishment, especially as the national debate about the morality and effectiveness of the death penalty continues to simmer.
While Council’s defense attorneys argued for leniency at his federal trial, citing a troubled childhood and his display of remorse—he reportedly asked investigators if the bank employees were still alive and wept upon learning of their deaths—these arguments did not sway the families of the victims or local prosecutors. Council himself was quoted as saying, “I’m a doofus. I’m an idiot. I don’t deserve to live.”
Notably, Horry County had another inmate, Chadrick Fulks, whose federal death sentence was commuted by Biden. Fulks, convicted of kidnapping and murder during a multi-state crime spree, has not yet seen his state charges reinstated, according to court records.
Biden’s commutations did not extend to everyone. Three men remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black worshippers at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel AME Church in 2015; Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who perpetrated the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. The president’s decision to leave these sentences untouched while commuting others has sparked debate across the political spectrum, with some praising his restraint and others questioning the consistency of his choices.
While the Council case reignites the debate over capital punishment, another South Carolina courtroom is dealing with the aftermath of a very different kind of crime: financial betrayal on a grand scale. On September 29, 2025, Russell Lucius Laffitte, a 54-year-old former banker from Hampton, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in the sprawling financial crimes orchestrated by disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Laffitte pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and misapplication of bank funds, as well as eight felony state charges including criminal conspiracy and bank fraud. He is expected to receive a concurrent state sentence at a hearing scheduled for October 13.
Laffitte, once CEO of Palmetto State Bank and a member of a prominent banking family, admitted to profiting from his position as conservator and personal representative for clients of Murdaugh’s law firm. He extended low- or no-interest loans from conservator accounts, failed to disclose these loans to those he owed a fiduciary duty, and negotiated client settlement funds for Murdaugh’s personal benefit. In one instance, Laffitte allowed Murdaugh to use $1.3 million in settlement funds to pay off personal debts, buy vehicles, and even receive cash back. Laffitte also misapplied bank funds, including a $750,000 loan for beach house renovations that was instead diverted to cover overdrafts and personal expenses.
Before sentencing, Laffitte paid $3.55 million in criminal restitution to his victims and will forfeit an additional $85,845.73. His federal sentence includes a three-year term of supervised release, a $20,000 fine, and a $600 special assessment. The FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday prosecuting. “As of today, Russell Laffitte and Alex Murdaugh have both been sentenced to federal prison, and their victims have been made financially whole,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.
Laffitte’s guilty plea also bars him from participating in the management of any federally insured bank or credit union. If he completes all requirements and maintains good behavior, he could be released as early as mid-2027. The restitution—using assets protected by state court bond conditions—means that, at least financially, the victims of this scheme have been compensated, a rare outcome in such cases.
Both cases underscore the complex interplay between state and federal justice systems, the enduring pain of victims, and the ever-present debate over how best to balance punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation. As South Carolina’s courts move forward, the eyes of the nation remain fixed on the Palmetto State, watching how it handles crime, punishment, and the long road to justice.