Hastings Wise

Case record: Hastings Wise

Parties and identification

Arthur Hastings Wise was the defendant.

Background

Wise worked for about four years at the R.E. Phelon Co. manufacturing plant in Aiken County before being fired after a violent confrontation with a supervisor.

Co-workers and neighbors described Wise as a regular churchgoer, carrying a small Bible and constantly talking about his faith.

A psychiatrist testified that Wise had planned to drive and “see the country” after deciding that he would commit suicide after the shootings. The psychiatrist also testified that Wise drove 9,000 miles in two weeks.

The offence

Wise returned to the R.E. Phelon plant weeks after being fired and carried out a shooting rampage around the shift change.

He arrived in a car at about 3 p.m. at the manufacturing plant. Security guard Stanley Vance watched Wise pull up. Wise was armed with a semiautomatic pistol.

Wise fired a bullet into Vance’s chest. Wise then yanked out the phone lines in the guard shack and told the guard, “I got things to do.”

Wise entered through a side door and went directly to the personnel office, where witnesses testified he shot 56-year-old Charles Griffeth twice in the back.

Wise then went to the tool and dye area, where witnesses testified he began firing his pistol at everyone around. David Moore (30) and Leonard Filyaw (31) were killed, and two others were wounded.

Wise found Sheryl Wood (27), who was associated with a quality control job he wanted. He shot her in the back and leg and then put a bullet in her head.

After those killings, witnesses testified Wise fired several more shots, but no one else was killed. Investigators found four empty magazines at the scene, capable of holding eight bullets each.

Wise attempted to commit suicide in the plant after the shootings by drinking insecticide; it made him sick.

Victims and injuries

Fatalities (four)

• Charles Griffeth (56): shot twice in the back in the personnel office.
• David Moore (30): killed in the tool and dye area.
• Leonard Filyaw (31): killed in the tool and dye area.
• Sheryl Wood (27): shot in the back and leg and then shot in the head.

Surviving victims (three)

• Stan(l)ey Vance (49): shot in the chest/upper abdomen; temporary paralysis and total disability were described at trial.
• Jerry Corley: survived gunshot wounds.
• John Mucha: survived gunshot wounds.
• Additional survivors treated and released with minor injuries and other wounded people were referenced in early reporting, including Lucius Corley (treated and released) and others treated with minor injuries.

Investigation and capture

After the shootings, law enforcement searched the building for Wise. Two men and a woman were found hiding under desks on the first floor and were evacuated.

SLED Chief Robert Stewart said Wise was found on the second floor near the quality assurance office. A weapon, described in one account as a handgun, was discovered nearby. Chief Stewart said Wise “said nothing,” and that Wise was lying on the floor with something physically wrong.

Wise was taken into custody after a SWAT team burst into a darkened office of the R.E. Phelon Co. plant and found him vomiting on the floor.

Investigators later described Wise’s possession of ammunition at the scene and the recovery of magazines, including empty eight-round magazines and additional rounds and full magazines in his possession, as described during appellate review.

Trial

Charges and conviction

Wise was convicted in the Circuit Court, Aiken County, before Thomas W. Cooper, Jr., J., of:

• four counts of murder (for which sentence of death was entered for each count),
• three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill,
• one count of second-degree burglary,
• four counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Jury findings and aggravating circumstances

The jury found two aggravating circumstances:

• a murder was committed during the commission of a burglary; and
• two or more persons were murdered by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct.

Sentencing

The jury recommended the death penalty for each murder count.

The trial judge sentenced Wise to death for each of the four murder convictions, imposed twenty years consecutive on each count of assault and battery with intent to kill, imposed fifteen years concurrent for burglary, and imposed five years concurrent on each weapon possession conviction.

The judge set April 3 as the execution date, but the date was delayed due to an automatic appeal to the South Carolina Supreme Court.

Wise’s conduct during trial

Wise did not present a defense.

He refused before trial to identify family or friends as favorable witnesses.

During the sentencing phase, Wise refused to allow his attorneys to call thirteen mitigation witnesses. The trial judge again had Wise examined by a psychiatrist, who testified Wise was competent.

Wise refused to let his lawyers call witnesses to ask the jury to spare his life.

In court when the sentence was read after his 2001 trial, Wise said: “I do not wish to take advantage of the court as far as asking for mercy. It was a fair trial. I committed these crimes,”

In another account, Wise declined to dispute his guilt and refused to let witnesses testify for him as jurors chose between the death penalty and life in prison.

Trial court rulings addressed on appeal

1. Excusing a juror for cause during individual voir dire

   • The juror stated she could not, under any circumstances, find defendant guilty.
   • The judge excused the juror for cause after further examination.

2. Restriction on cross-examination of a surviving victim during the penalty phase

   • Security officer Vance testified during both guilt and sentencing phases.
   • During the penalty phase, Wise’s attorney attempted to question Vance about a statement reported to a newspaper shortly after the shootings, in which Vance reportedly said Wise should not receive the death penalty.
   • The trial judge sustained an objection and did not allow the testimony.

During appellate review, the Supreme Court accepted the proffer that Vance would testify he did not personally believe Wise should receive the death penalty, but held the testimony would not constitute a plea for mercy and would be an inadmissible opinion about the verdict.

Appeals

Wise appealed following the convictions and death sentences.

The Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence. The opinion conducted proportionality review and found the death sentences were not excessive or disproportionate, and that aggravating circumstances were supported by the evidence.

The Supreme Court case is cited as: State v. Wise, 359 S.C. 14, 596 S.E.2d 475 (S.C. 2004) (Direct Appeal)

Wise did not meaningfully pursue further relief after sent to death row, including refusing to let his lawyers call witnesses to spare his life and dropping his appeals in reporting.

Outcome

Wise was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina on November 4, 2005.

In one account, Wise made no final statement and never looked at the victims’ families or other witnesses, instead staring at the ceiling and taking several deep breaths while lethal chemicals were administered.

In reporting, the official time of death was about 10 minutes later, at 6:18 p.m.

Aftermath and related individuals’ statements

Tommy Thompson, the father of victim David Moore, made statements about the execution.

John Wood, whose daughter Sheryl was killed execution-style as she tried to run away with a gunshot wound to her leg, said he was glad Wise took responsibility and expressed disappointment that Wise had nothing to say before he died.

Zach Bush witnessed the execution “on behalf of the employees at the plant” and said Wise spared his life while killing others. He also said he struggles because Wise let him live while he killed others, including his good friend Wood.

Aiken County Sheriff Michael Hunt and prosecutor Barbara Morgan attended the execution, along with Wise’s minister.

Wise’s minister attended as well.

Wise ate his final meal consisting of lobster tail, french fries, cole slaw, banana pudding and milk around 4 p.m. In one account, Wise’s final words were none.

Other details

Inmate and sentencing administrative details referenced

• Inmate: Wise, Hastings Arthur
• Inmate number: 00005074
• Date of birth: 02/16/54
• Race: Black
• County of conviction: Aiken
• Trial judge: Cooper
• Date received: 02/02/01
• At execution, reporting stated Wise was 51.

Events described around the time of capture and treatment

• Wise was listed as being in critical condition after ingesting an unknown substance and later vomiting.
• Police reported he was released from the hospital in a later reporting segment and denied bond on murder charges.

Weapon and magazine details

Investigators recovered four empty magazines at the scene, and other accounts in the appellate discussion described additional full magazines and rounds in Wise’s possession.

Attempted suicide

Wise tried to commit suicide in the plant by drinking insecticide after the shootings; he survived and was arrested and transported to a hospital.

Medical and psychiatric details referenced in appellate proceedings

Appellate review referenced LSD in Wise’s body when the shootings occurred, and that Wise told the judge he was in total control of his faculties at the time.

Additional named individuals referenced in the events

• Stanley Vance (security guard; wounded and disabled as described in trial proceedings)
• Charles Griffeth (personnel/human resources director; killed)
• David Moore (killed)
• Leonard Filyaw (killed)
• Sheryl Wood (killed)
• Jerry Corley (survivor referenced in sentencing)
• John Mucha (survivor referenced in sentencing)
• Bruce Mundy (appeared as a witness in reporting about discovering Sheryl Wood)
• Zach Bush (spared during the rampage; referenced in reporting)
• Ulysses Hackett (supervisor; referenced in reporting)
• Robert Stewart (SLED Chief; referenced in capture details)
• Barbara R. Morgan (prosecutor referenced in reporting)
• Thomas W. Cooper, Jr., J. (trial judge referenced in appellate background)
• Burnett, J. (authored the appellate opinion as indicated by the opinion text)
• Joseph Savitz (attorney referenced in reporting as stating Wise expressed a wish to die)
• Gregory Harlow and Carl B. Grant (defense attorneys referenced in reporting about Wise refusing to present witnesses and their closing arguments)