Deandre’ Antuan Nesbitt Cochran, 35, from Charleston County, was sentenced to 45 years in prison after a jury convicted him of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Incident Overview
On August 8, 2023, at 5:20 p.m., Charleston County deputies responded to Highway 162 and Storage Road in Hollywood, S.C., finding Herman Prioleau dead from a single head gunshot in the front passenger seat of his cousin’s Nissan sedan.
Key Testimony
Prioleau’s cousin, the driver, testified that Cochran shot Prioleau from the back seat while transporting him and another passenger. The other back-seat witness discarded the gun out a window; Cochran then ordered a stop, wiped the door handle, and fled after turning off his phone.
Investigation and Sentencing
Evidence from the vehicle, including a latent fingerprint, identified Cochran and corroborated the second witness. Located in Florida serving time on unrelated charges, he was extradited. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett A. Wilson credited cooperating witnesses for the conviction; Circuit Judge Deadra Jefferson imposed the sentence post-trial.
