by JENN WOOD

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A brutally violent child murder case that once moved through a Laurens County, South Carolina courtroom has become a political football in the Palmetto State’s attorney general’s race, with S.C. eight circuit solicitor David Stumbo facing scrutiny over a plea agreement that spared the defendant from the death penalty.

Stumbo is one of three candidates for the Republican nomination for attorney general.

A text message circulated to voters this week accused Stumbo of cutting a “sweetheart deal” with convicted killer William Ryan Looper — who admitted to the rape, torture and murder of a two-year-old boy. It directs recipients to a website expanding on that claim – while urging voters to reject Stumbo in the June 9, 2026 Republican primary. The messaging is blunt, emotionally charged and politically pointed, framing the outcome of the case as an example of failed prosecutorial judgment at a time when Stumbo is seeking to become the state’s chief prosecutor.

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THE CRIME — AND THE CASE

The underlying case presents a more complex picture than the campaign rhetoric suggests. Looper was charged in the 2018 death of his girlfriend’s young son in Laurens County – a case investigators described as exceptionally disturbing even by the standards of violent crime. According to law enforcement findings and court records, the child suffered extensive injuries consistent with prolonged abuse and sexual assault before his death.

Early in the prosecution, Stumbo’s office formally sought the death penalty and spent years preparing the case for trial, positioning it as a capital prosecution under South Carolina law.

That posture ultimately changed in November 2021, when Looper entered a guilty plea to multiple charges, including murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. In exchange for that plea, prosecutors removed the death penalty as a sentencing option. A circuit court judge subsequently imposed a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder, along with decades-long concurrent sentences on the remaining charges — ensuring Looper will spend the rest of his life behind bars in a maximum-security state facility.

The ad insisted things went down differently, accusing Stumbo of “refusing” to seek the death penalty.

“Instead (he) offered mercy to this pedophile murderer,” the ad claimed. “Each and every day, Looper receives three meals a day, a place to lay his head at night and access to entertainment – like books, music and movies – all funded by you, the taxpayer.”

Here’s the spot…

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STUMBO’S RESPONSE — AND THE CONTEXT

Stumbo, responding to the attack, rejected the characterization of the plea agreement and defended both the process and the outcome.

“That’s dishonest politics, plain and simple,” the solicitor said. “I hunted Looper with the death penalty for over three years — and leveraged every ounce of that pressure to do something almost unheard of: reach back over decades to lock up the abusive father who created that monster and ensured Looper himself will die in a cold prison cell one day. I also spared two young boys from reliving that trauma in court on the witness stand through decades of appeals.”

“Each and every family, law enforcement officer, and counselor supported that decision,” Stumbo added. “That’s what victim-centered, real justice looks like — not chasing headlines for politics.”

According to information provided to FITSNews, the case involved two surviving siblings who would likely have been required to testify about the abuse and death of their younger brother had the case proceeded to trial. Concerns about the emotional and psychological toll of that testimony — particularly given the likelihood of repeated proceedings through years of appeals — weighed heavily in discussions surrounding the resolution.

Prosecutors also faced the broader realities of South Carolina’s death penalty system at the time. Although the state had authorized capital punishment, executions had effectively stalled for years due to issues obtaining lethal injection drugs, leaving death sentences subject to prolonged delays and uncertainty. Even when ultimately carried out, capital cases can take decades to resolve — a reality illustrated by other South Carolina cases in which defendants have remained on death row for more than twenty years following conviction.

Within that framework, a life-without-parole sentence offered finality: no possibility of release and no extended appellate process requiring the victim’s family to repeatedly revisit the case. According to sources familiar with the decision-making process, the victim’s family supported the plea agreement after being advised of those considerations.

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RELATED | FEDS TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN 2024 MURDER

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THE SECOND CASE — AND NEW QUESTIONS

The resolution of the Looper case also led to a secondary prosecution involving his father, who was later charged and convicted on child abuse-related offenses stemming from conduct years earlier. That case has been cited by Stumbo as a rare example of prosecutors reaching back to hold an alleged source of long-term abuse accountable.

However, records (.pdf) reviewed by FITSNews indicate the elder Looper ultimately resolved his case through a negotiated plea as well, receiving a sentence that — while significant — includes parole eligibility. According to a South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) inmate report (.pdf), he is currently serving multiple child neglect sentences and is projected to become eligible for parole in May 2026.

That outcome has prompted additional criticism from some observers, who question whether the broader strategy — using the capital case against the younger Looper to build a case against his father — ultimately resulted in a proportionate long-term outcome for both defendants.

Those concerns stand in contrast to Stumbo’s characterization of the dual prosecutions as a comprehensive approach to addressing both the immediate crime and its alleged underlying causes.

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A CASE NOW AT THE CENTER OF A CAMPAIGN

None of that context appears in the attack message now circulating to voters, which reduces the outcome to a single point of contention: that the death penalty was ultimately taken off the table. As Stumbo campaigns for attorney general, his handling of violent crime cases is likely to remain a focal point, particularly as opponents and outside groups seek to distill complex prosecutorial decisions into politically resonant narratives.

At its core, the controversy reflects a broader dynamic increasingly visible in South Carolina’s legal and political landscape. Decisions once made within the confines of a courtroom — often shaped by evidentiary realities, victim considerations and long-term legal risk — are now being reframed in campaign messaging designed for maximum emotional impact.

Whether voters view the Looper plea as pragmatism, restraint or something else entirely may ultimately depend less on those underlying factors than on which version of the story gains traction.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

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