In the summer of 2015, a quiet apartment complex in Hampton, South Carolina, became the scene of a sudden and violent crime that cut short the life of Steven Douglas Cochran. At 50 years old, Cochran was the building manager for the Hampton Garden Apartments on Holly Street West. On August 1, 2015, he confronted a group of men who were loitering on the property and asked them to leave.
During the encounter, Cochran placed a call to the Hampton police for assistance.
While on the phone with an officer, his call for help turned into screams. A bystander then took the phone and informed the police that a man had run up to Cochran and shot him multiple times. The brazen attack was witnessed by several people, and the sound of the gunshots was even heard by the officer on the other end of the line.
The investigation swiftly led to the arrest of 26-year-old Sidney Antoine Holmes of Walterboro. Holmes was charged with murder, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, discharging a firearm into a dwelling, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Following a two-day trial at the Hampton County Courthouse, a jury found Sidney Antoine Holmes guilty on all charges. The prosecution highlighted the audacious nature of the murder, which was committed in broad daylight and in front of multiple witnesses. In March 2017, a judge sentenced Holmes to a total of 51 years in prison, with the sentences for each of his crimes to be served consecutively, ensuring a long period of incarceration for the murder of Steven Douglas Cochran.
