Hollywood man, 73, sentenced in wife's killing

HOLLYWOOD, SC (WCSC) - A Hollywood man was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and weapons charges in the 2015 death of his wife.

David Greene, 73, was sentenced to 25 years on the voluntary manslaughter charge and five years on a charge of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office spokesperson Naomi Nation. The sentences are concurrent, which means the total sentence is 25 years, she said.

"In effect, Judge [Markely] Dennis sentenced the defendant to life, which is an important message for domestic violence killers," Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said.

Prosecutors say the victim, Shirlee Green, was sitting on her chair in her bedroom watching television and talking to her sister by telephone about Thanksgiving plans on Oct. 23, 2015. David Greene walked into her room and shot her twice with a Winchester 12-gauge pump shotgun, they say.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found David Green sitting on the front porch smoking with the shotgun gripped between his legs. Deputies said he refused repeated commands to put the shotgun down and comply.

Deputies were forced to deploy a K9 officer, distracting Greene while deputies converged on the porch and arrested him.

Greene had no previous criminal history, Nation said. The couple had been married for 48 years at the time of the killing, she said.

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