A South Carolina judge ruled that a death row inmate who murdered a state trooper cannot be executed because schizophrenia has convinced him he’s immortal and will resurrect after death.

Mental Illness Blocks Death Penalty

Judge Gracie Knie sided with defense attorneys for John Richard Wood on April 22, determining his severe mental illness makes execution unconstitutional. Wood murdered South Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Nicholson in 2000 after fleeing a traffic stop on Interstate 85 in Greenville. Wood shot Nicholson five times, stole a vehicle, and fled the scene before citizens provided police with the getaway car’s license plate. A jury convicted Wood and sentenced him to death.

During a two-day March hearing, mental health professionals testified that Wood genuinely believes he’s a 300-year-old immortal who has already died three times on death row. Dr. Amanda Salas, a defense psychiatrist, described his condition as deeply entrenched delusions. Wood received his schizophrenia diagnosis while hospitalized in the state psychiatric facility, where staff documented his claims of being a U.S. Army Ranger and his certainty that he would soon walk free despite his conviction.

First Case Since Executions Resumed

Wood becomes the first South Carolina death row inmate deemed incompetent for execution since the state resumed capital punishment in September 2024. South Carolina paused executions for 13 years partly because of difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs. Three state psychiatrists evaluated Wood and confirmed that rational conversation with him proved extremely difficult due to his persistent delusional system. Dr. Matthew Gaskins and psychologist Susan Knight both testified that Wood’s mental illness prevents him from understanding the connection between his crime and the proposed punishment.

Trooper’s Death and Conviction

Trooper Eric Nicholson activated his lights and sirens to stop Wood’s moped on Interstate 85. Wood refused to stop immediately, and when two responding troopers arrived after hearing Nicholson scream over the radio, they found him shot five times. Witnesses reported seeing Wood holding a weapon at the scene. Wood ditched his moped in a nearby parking lot and carjacked a Jeep from a woman driver. Concerned citizens who pursued Wood provided police with the Jeep’s tag number, leading to his arrest. A jury found him guilty of murder of a highway patrol officer and weapon possession during a violent crime.