A 34-year-old South Carolina man has been sentenced to four decades in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his wife’s former romantic partner in a courthouse parking lot last year. The fatal confrontation occurred after the defendant discovered he was not the biological father of the child he had been raising.
Stephen Andrew White received the 40-year sentence on Monday following his guilty plea to charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The victim, 34-year-old Erin Lee Thomas, died from gunshot wounds sustained during the August 12, 2024 incident outside the Laurens County Courthouse.
The deadly encounter took place immediately following a court hearing that involved White’s wife and a child she shared with Thomas. According to prosecutors from the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the hearing itself proceeded without any notable conflicts or heated exchanges between the parties involved.
After the proceedings concluded, all three individuals left the courthouse separately. White then entered his vehicle and deliberately struck Thomas with his car while the victim stood in the parking lot. The impact broke Thomas’s leg, leaving him immobilized on the ground.
White subsequently retrieved a firearm from a diaper bag in his vehicle. His initial attempt to shoot Thomas failed when the weapon jammed. After clearing the malfunction, White fatally shot Thomas before surrendering himself to law enforcement officers at the scene.
During the sentencing hearing, defense attorney Chelsea B. McNeill argued that her client had experienced a sudden emotional breakdown upon learning about the child’s true paternity. She described the discovery as one of the most devastating experiences a father could endure, second only to losing a child.
According to the defense, White’s wife had engaged in an extramarital relationship with Thomas before her marriage. While she had initially confessed to the affair and received forgiveness from White, she later resumed the relationship without his knowledge, resulting in the birth of Thomas’s child.
Prosecutors countered this narrative by highlighting that White had actually learned about the child’s biological parentage approximately one year before the fatal shooting. This timeline suggested the killing was not an immediate emotional reaction but rather a premeditated act of violence.
The prosecution emphasized the particularly brutal nature of the crime, noting that Thomas was completely helpless when White shot him due to the broken leg sustained from being struck by the vehicle.
Eighth Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo characterized the crime as a calculated and deeply personal act of violence that occurred in a location meant for peaceful dispute resolution. He noted that White’s actions permanently removed two father figures from an innocent child’s life.
During the sentencing, Thomas’s grandmother, Kay McMahan Trotter, delivered an emotional victim impact statement. She spoke about her close relationship with her grandson and his dedication to fatherhood, which she described as his most important role in life. Trotter revealed that Thomas had provided financial support to White and his wife to ensure his daughter had a stable home environment.
The case has drawn attention to the intersection of family court proceedings and criminal violence, highlighting the potential for personal disputes to escalate into deadly confrontations. The courthouse parking lot, typically a space for legal resolution, became the scene of a tragedy that has permanently affected multiple families.
White will serve his 40-year sentence in state prison, effectively removing him from his family for the majority of his remaining adult life.
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