UPDATED: Trial for 2018 Lee Correctional riot postponed

UPDATE as of 1:18 p.m.:

The trial of Larry White, who was charged in connection to the deadly 2018 riot at Lee Correctional Institution, has been postponed, according to South Carolina Department of Correction Director of Communications Chrysti Shain.

The trial will be rescheduled for a later date.  

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The trial of another defendant charged in connection to the deadly 2018 riot at Lee Correctional Institution will continue Tuesday at Lee County Courthouse in Bishopville.

Larry White is charged with first-degree assault and battery by mob in connection to the deaths of three inmates during the April 2018 riot at the maximum-security prison. According to South Carolina Department of Corrections, under South Carolina law, the charge is considered equivalent to a murder charge and carries the same penalties.

Judge R. Ferrell Cochran is presiding over the case.

According to earlier reporting, the April 15, 2018, riot left seven inmates dead and 22 others injured, making it one of the deadliest prison riots in modern U.S. history. Authorities at that time said the violence, which lasted nearly eight hours across multiple dorms, stemmed largely from gang-related conflicts and the use of contraband cellphones to coordinate attacks.

More than 40 inmates were charged after the riot.

White is the third defendant to be tried in this case. Previous prosecutions tied to the riot include Michael Juan Smith, who was convicted in December 2023 on assault, conspiracy and weapons charges and sentenced to 40 years in prison, and Stephen Green, who was convicted in September 2024 on murder and mob violence charges and sentenced to two life terms.

The Sumter Item will provide live updates from the courtroom, beginning Tuesday, at theitem.com.