Eric Greene Sentenced to 57 Years for Morgan Duncan Murder

A Richland County jury convicted 43-year-old Eric Donnell Greene of murder on July 17, 2025, for strangling 27-year-old Morgan Duncan over a roughly $300 drug debt, and Circuit Judge Jocelyn Newman sentenced him to 57 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The Eric Greene and Morgan Duncan murder case ran from Duncan’s November 2023 disappearance in Columbia through a four-day trial nearly two years later, with Greene arrested and charged before his victim’s remains were ever found.¹

Who Morgan Duncan Was

Morgan Duncan was a 27-year-old father living at the Springtree Apartments in Columbia. He had been accepted to a pharmacy fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, but was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 19 during his freshman year at the University of South Carolina and had to leave school. His mother, LaTanza Duncan, described him as an artist with a “sweet spirit.” He had a young daughter named Mary.²³

Because of his schizophrenia, prosecutors classified Duncan as a “vulnerable adult” under South Carolina’s Omnibus Adult Protection Act, which covers people 18 or older whose physical or mental condition substantially impairs their ability to care for or protect themselves.⁴

How the Killing Happened

Greene, known as “Easy,” lived in the same Springtree Apartments complex as Duncan and called Duncan his “friend.” He was a known drug dealer in the area and was on probation for prior drug convictions when the killing occurred. He also had pending charges from a December 2023 carjacking.⁵

According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the killing grew out of a dispute over about $300 in drug money. Duncan tried to assure Greene he would pay after his next paycheck. Greene attacked him anyway. Two neighbors from the apartment complex later testified they saw Greene strangle Duncan inside an apartment on or around November 28, 2023.⁶¹

An Arrest Before the Body Was Found

Duncan’s family reported him missing in early December 2023. A welfare check at his apartment turned up his phone, wallet, and medications, all left behind. Sergeant Chris Mastrianni of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation.⁷

Working from the witness accounts of the strangulation, authorities arrested Greene on February 1, 2024, and charged him with murder even though Duncan’s body had not been recovered.⁸ Duncan’s remains were later found in two locations:

On June 17, 2024, a resident walking in a wooded area near the 7400 block of Springbank Drive found remains about half a mile from where Duncan was last seen. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford confirmed the identification through dental records.⁹
On December 11, 2024, additional partial remains were found in a culvert near the 200 block of O’Neil Court.⁶

Inside the Trial

Greene’s trial opened Monday, July 14, 2025, before Judge Newman in Richland County. Senior Assistant Solicitor Kathryn Cavanaugh prosecuted the case with Assistant Solicitors Nicolas Fowler and Joseph Kreush of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Public defender Jonathan Fox represented Greene.¹⁰

The prosecution built its case on the two eyewitnesses who said they watched Greene strangle Duncan inside the apartment complex. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Greene was familiar with the area where Duncan’s remains were ultimately found, and dental records were used to confirm the identification.⁷

Greene did not testify, on the advice of his attorneys. On July 17, 2025, after four days of trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict. At sentencing, Greene maintained his innocence, telling the court, “I did not do nothing wrong.” Duncan’s mother addressed Greene directly: “You preyed on him like he was a piece of meat and he was nothing to you. When you strangled the life out of him, you strangled it out of yourself too.” His father asked for the maximum sentence. Judge Newman imposed 57 years.¹

Greene’s Appeal

Greene filed an appeal on July 21, 2025, four days after conviction. He is being held at the Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia while the appeal proceeds.¹¹

The Two Co-Defendants

Two other people were charged in connection with Duncan’s death, and only Greene was convicted of the killing. Julivia Waller was originally charged with murder, accessory after the fact, fleeing custody, and resisting arrest, and was detained for 528 days. During the trial, Judge Newman granted a directed verdict of not guilty after the prosecution rested, ruling there was insufficient evidence against her.¹² Jerome Harper was charged with accessory after the fact to murder, and his case remains pending.¹¹

1
WIS-TV. Man Found Guilty of Killing Richland County Vulnerable Adult
2
WIS-TV. Mother of Morgan Duncan Speaks Out After Additional Remains of Her Son Found
3
WACH FOX. Emotional Courtroom Scene as Mother of Murdered Student Pleads for Justice
4
Justia. South Carolina Code Section 43-35-10
5
WIS-TV. Man Accused of Murdering Richland County Vulnerable Adult Denied Bond Second Time
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WACH FOX. Man Sentenced to 57 Years for Murder of Columbia Father Morgan Duncan
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Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Columbia Drug Dealer Who Targeted Vulnerable People Found Guilty of Murder
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WIS-TV. Two Charged With Murder Following Columbia Man’s Disappearance
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ABC News 4. Remains of Missing Columbia Dad Found
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The State. Man Found Guilty of Murder in Death of Morgan Duncan
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WIS-TV. Midlands Man Convicted in Death of Vulnerable Adult Files Appeal
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WPDE. Woman Found Not Guilty After a Man’s Murder in Columbia