South Carolina prosecutor to seek death penalty after Biden commuted federal sentence
Horry County prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty against Brandon Council, whose federal death sentence for the 2017 killing of two CresCom Bank employees was commuted to life by President Joe Biden. The move follows new state indictments returned in August that permit a state capital trial; prosecutors and victims’ family members criticized the presidential commutation and said state charges were preserved to allow local action.
Crime
Legal
🔍 Key Facts
- Brandon Council, 40, accused of killing bank teller Donna Major and manager Katie Skeen during an Aug. 2017 CresCom Bank robbery in Conway, South Carolina
- Council was convicted in federal court and sentenced to death; President Joe Biden commuted his federal death sentence (one of 37 commutations) in December, reducing it to life in prison
- Horry County Solicitor Jimmy Richardson obtained new state indictments in August and formally told the court on Sept. 30, 2025 that the state will seek the death penalty if Council is convicted; the robbery netted $15,000
📍 Contextual Background
- Decarlos Brown Jr. has been charged in connection with Zarutska's death with a state first-degree murder count and a federal count; both charges can be punishable by the death penalty.
- Federal prosecutors commonly resolve federal criminal charges through plea agreements, which typically result in a sentence below the statutory maximum.
- In September 2025, jurors returned guilty verdicts against Donna Adelson on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the killing of Daniel Markel.
- A U.S. House judiciary subcommittee held a meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina to hear from families of violent-crime victims on 2025-09-29.
- A crime statistician testified that rates of murder and violent crime were falling nationwide and in Charlotte after increases early in the 2020s (as of 2025-09-29).
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates incidents of targeted violence.