Jury reaches verdict in Richland Co. triple murder trial

Published: Dec. 18, 2007 at 9:36 PM EST|Updated: Dec. 21, 2007 at 4:35 AM EST
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COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Tuesday, three suspects in a Midlands triple murder learned their fate. Two got convicted, and one was acquitted.

Stanley Oliver and Dominic Gallman are guilty of three counts of murder, plus armed robbery, burglary, and kidnapping. Jurors deliberated about four hours.

Another man, Kenneth Joy, was acquitted of seven counts of accessory after the fact. John Delgado is Joy's attorney. "I think this is just a marvelous verdict for the system of justice because Ken was not guilty."

Oliver and Gallman killed George Batie, Kevin Miller and Desiree Felder September 4, 2005. Oliver and Gallman went to Batie's home on Mildred Avenue in Richland County and robbed him. They took drugs and money.

Batie and his friend Kevin Miller were shot and killed. Desiree Felder was also at the house.

Prosecutors said Oliver and Gallman thought Felder knew something about money at a storage center. Deputy solicitor John Meadors says, "We believe Ms. Felder would not tell them where the storage center was. We believe Mr. Oliver and Mr. Gallman walked Ms. Felder into the woods and executed her."

When police went to Batie's house, it had been ransacked. They found Stanley Oliver's fingerprint inside. Oliver told them about the other men involved.

Meadors says, "No matter what they were doing, these victims they were good people and they'd made some mistakes, but they didn't need to be executed."

Meadors tells WIS News 10 the victim's families are pleased with the verdicts despite one of the suspects going free - Kenneth Joy. Delgado says, "This was his words to me while we were sitting at the table. He leaned over to me and said, 'God's given me my life back,' and I said, 'Ken, He sure has.'"

Both Oliver and Gallman were sentenced to life in prison.

Reported by Brandi Cummings

Posted by Bryce Mursch