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A Hartsville man who pleaded guilty on Wednesday to shooting his roommate two years ago will spend less than 10 years in prison.
Chester Alexander Bull, 23, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with the Oct. 10, 2006 shooting death of his roommate, 22-year-old George Stanley Bishop Jr.
“We have lost so much, these two men. It’s a tragic situation,” said Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein. “Mr. Bull, I am going to commit you for a period of 10 years to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.”
Bull is to receive credit for two years already spent in jail, leaving him with less than eight years to serve.
“This is the most tragic case either of us have been through,” Hartsville defense attorney Paul Cannarella said of himself and Goodstein.
“I think it’s a fair sentence. She didn’t want to destroy two lives at the same time,” he said.
The team of prosecutors and police investigators, however, appeared surprised at the sentence.
Prosecutors had offered a 20-year cap on Bull’s sentence prior to his plea.
“They agreed to 20 years, the judge sentenced him to 10 years,” said Capt. Mike Adams of the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.
Prior to the sentencing, Wanda Bishop told the court the loss of her son was a devastating blow to their family. Bishop was two months away from his college graduation when he was killed.
“I felt like I had been robbed,” she said. “I ask, judge, that you consider all the youthful killings,” in the decision.
But Bishop’s aunt, Marilyn Bishop, said Wednesday was a time of forgiveness.
“We don’t know what happened, all we can do is trust God,” she said. “He knows what’s best. Our kids grow up, they leave us, we don’t know what’s going on.”
Investigators believe the shooting followed an altercation of some sort inside apartment K-3 at Palmetto Place Apartments.
Bull called police after the shooting, saying he found his roommate deceased when he returned home on that day. Police found Bishop face down on his bedroom floor, dead from a single .45-caliber gunshot wound to the chest.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Bull offered a North Carolina v. Alford plea, which meant that he would plead guilty yet not admit to the shooting.
In spite of the Alford plea, Bull addressed the four Bishop family members present during Wednesday’s hearing, saying the shooting was an accident.
Bull said “for some stupid reason,” he began playing with his weapon after removing the ammunition clip. He said he sneaked up behind Bishop and pointed the weapon at him.
“He knew I was joking. He said, ‘Go ahead and shoot,’” Bull said. “I pulled the hammer back and shot. I called 911. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Police say they believe the shooting was not an accident. Bishop had powder burns on his palms, Adams said, where investigators say he attempted to defend himself.
“We asked him (Bull) specifically, ‘Did you shoot him accidentally?’” Adams told the court. “He said ‘No.’”
Prior to accepting the Alford plea, Goodstein asked Cannarella about the decision to plea.
“Do you feel the state could provide sufficient documents that would convict your client?” Goodstein said.
“I do, your honor,” Cannarella said.
T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516.