Bio 

Jeffrey Brian Motts was born on May 5, 1975, in South Carolina. By 1995, Motts was 19 years old and living in South Carolina. That year, he killed two elderly relatives during a robbery in Pacolet. The motive was money to buy crack cocaine. After his conviction, he received two life sentences for murder and an additional sentence for armed robbery.

While serving those sentences, Motts was housed at Perry Correctional Institution in Greenville County. There, he later killed his cellmate, Charles “Chuck” Martin, during a prison dispute. That third killing led to a death sentence.

Murder Story

On April 3, 1995, Jeffrey Brian Motts killed 73-year-old Louise Etta Osteen, his great-aunt, and 79-year-old Clyde Lloyd Camby during a robbery in Pacolet, South Carolina. Reports state that Motts cut the telephone cord in the home, tied the victims, and shot them. Camby was shot at close range, and Osteen was shot as she tried to get away. Investigators said Motts committed the robbery to get money for crack cocaine. In 1997, a Spartanburg County jury convicted him of armed robbery and both murders. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for each murder and 25 years for armed robbery.

While serving those sentences at Perry Correctional Institution, Motts was placed in a cell with Charles “Chuck” Martin. The two men had already asked not to be housed together because of a dispute involving a stolen radio and a knife found in another inmate’s cell. On December 8, 2005, the conflict turned violent. During an argument, Motts struck Martin, tied him with strips from bedsheets, and strangled him. Martin died from asphyxia caused by strangulation.

After the killing, Motts hid Martin’s body under the bed, smoked cigarettes, ate breakfast, and watched television. He later dragged the body to a common area and kicked it while saying, “this is what snitches get.” Motts then told prison officials that he had killed Martin and confessed to investigators after waiving his rights. The South Carolina Supreme Court later summarized these facts in State v. Motts.

Motts was convicted of Martin’s murder, and because he already had prior murder convictions, prosecutors sought the death penalty. A jury recommended death, and on June 4, 2008, the trial judge formally sentenced him to death. Motts later waived his appeals and asked for his execution to proceed. The South Carolina Supreme Court reviewed his competency and ruled in 2011 that he was competent to waive his appeal and that his death sentence was not disproportionate.

Jeffrey Brian Motts was executed by lethal injection at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 6, 2011. He was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m. His final meal included pizza, fried fish, popcorn shrimp, french fries, sweet tea, and cherry cheesecake.