Theodore Spencer was sentenced today to 36 years in prison for his roll in the brutal death of Glenn Scarborough. Terrell Wilson and Phillip Swan were sentenced to 34 and 30 years, respectively, for their involvement.
The three men appeared before Judge Thomas Motley Wednesday showing no remorse for their actions. Wilson was the only one to address Scarborough’s family.
“I’m sorry for the loss of your son,” Wilson said.
In October, a jury found the men guilty of several charges including murder, conspiracy, burglary and kidnapping.
According to trial testimony, the three men entered Scarborough’s home with hospital gloves and duct tape. They kicked and punched Scarborough repeatedly, before strangling him with a belt, stabbing him, and then suffocating him.
Spencer told detectives that he believed Scarborough had sexually assaulted his mother, who was severely ill, and had given her an STD. Swan and Wilson were friends of Spencer and agreed to help him go after Scarborough, according to testimony.
During pre-sentence allocution, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinet Bryant argued that the beating of Scarborough took place over a two-day period. According to trial testimony, Spencer and Wilson beat Scarborough the night before the fatal beating, and went back to Scarborough’s home the following night along with Swan. Bryant said that it was the first time she had seen an assault take place over a two-day period.
Scarborough died of strangulation and asphyxiation on June 19, 2011. At the time, Spencer’s mother was hospitalized with a life-threatening illness.
“None of these things were done to protect Mrs. Spencer,” Bryant said.
Bryant further argued that until two months prior to the incident Swan had not spoken to Spencer since high school, and Wilson didn’t know Spencer at all prior to a couple months before Scarborough’s death.
“Mr. Swan and Mr. Wilson never had a dog in this fight,” Bryant said.
Before reading the terms of each sentence, Judge Motley said that he would not take the relationship between Scarborough and Spencer’s mother into consideration.
“It is not your duty, by any stretch of the imagination, to right a wrong.” Motley said.
In November 2011, the men turned down a plea offer that would have given Wilson and Swan reduced sentences of 10 to 15 years if they pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter; Spencer would have received 25 to 29 years for the more serious charges of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary.
Sentencing documents have been added to this post.
