After 9 hours of deliberations, jury acquits U.S. vet accused of Socastee double murder
A marathon jury deliberation ended with a U.S. Marine being found not guilty of two counts of murder.
An Horry County jury took nine hours—and twice said it was deadlocked—before it acquitted Zachary Stell.
The jury started its deliberations around 12:30 p.m. and was expected to last a few hours. By dinnertime, the jury told the judge it could not reach a unanimous verdict. The judge gave the jury further instruction and two hours later, the jury said it remained deadlocked.
Twice, the jury asked the judge for clarification on the idea that someone can be guilty of a crime, even if they weren’t the main perpetrator, if they were involved in the crime. The judge could only reread the law about the concept and again set the jury back to deliberate.
Minutes later, the jury came back and stated Stell was not guilty.
The case revolved around the murder of Matthew Autry and Shawn Anderson in the Socastee area of Horry County, South Carolina in July 2018. The two men were found dead in a burned-out car in a wooded area. Prosecutors say Stell and David Cook, and two others plotted to get revenge for stolen drugs. Stell and Cook met with the victims in a car.
Investigators say Stell shot the victims, however the defense said Cook was the one who pulled the trigger. Nobody disputes that both suspects were inside the car at the time of the shooting.
Autry’s mother cried as she sat and listen to the jury each say they found Stell not guilty. Stell showed no reaction and sat quietly in his chair as the verdict was read.
Lawyers talk case
State prosecutors detailed the case as one over revenge over stolen drugs. In late July 2018, Stell met Cook, Faile and William Tatum at a drug house outside of Myrtle Beach.
There a conversation turned into who took stolen drugs, said Senior Assistant Solicitor Josh Holford. One of the men says Anderson has the drugs. Cook and Stell, armed with guns, drove to meet Anderson.
“They are going to find out where is this dope,” Holford said.
Stell drove the car and Cook sat in the backseat, Holford said. Both men were aware of the plan, Holford said, and that is when the theory matches the evidence. Anderson and his friend Autry meet with the two suspects and get into the car. Anderson is in the passenger seat and Autry joins Cook in the backseat.
In the car, Stell shot Anderson twice and then shot Autry, Holford said. There were bullet holes in the passenger side of the vehicle.
Cook—who testified and detailed the killing during the trial—and Stell returned to the drug house while the two victims were near death in the car. The group cleaned and developed a plan to burn the car to hide the evidence, Holford said. The duo drove to a spot near the then-under construction S.C. Highway 31 and Cook set the vehicle on fire.
“The defendant and Cook executed that plan together,” Holford said.
Even if the jury believed that Cook pulled the trigger, Holford said, it didn’t matter because Stell was in the car and knew the plan. In South Carolina, being involved in a killing, though not necessarily committing the act, can lead to a murder conviction.
“At the end of the day, the evidence shows you , the testimonies shows you, everything you heard shows Zachary Stell killed [Matthew Autry and Shawn Anderson,]” Holford said.
However, defense attorney Brad Richardson said the witness stand was the first time anyone heard the version of events Cook shared this week. Cook’s story during the trial did not match his statements to police, Richardson said. Cook’s 2018 interview with officers also tainted Horry County police’s investigation as he tried to deflect attention away from himself.
Richardson said Cook’s DNA was on the gun that fired the fatal shots and that Stell’s actions after were done in distress.
“Everything done after is cause he has a killer in the car who murdered two people,” Richardson said.
Both attorneys also questioned how the shooting happened. Richardson said Stell would have had to contort himself to shoot Autry, who sat directly behind him as Stell drove. Holford said that right-handed Cook would have had to shoot Anderson with his left hand as Anderson said directly in front of him on the vehicle’s passenger side.
Richardson continued to question Cook’s account and noted to the jury that his client is innocent. Richardson said one day Cook will have to answer for his actions.
“He wants you to believe his implausible story,” Richardson said.
