Offender Record · OFF-2026-174
Stephen Christopher Stanko
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'2"
Born
1968
Custody
Deceased
States
SC, GA
Custody
Executed by lethal injection on June 13, 2025.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Stephen Christopher Stanko was convicted of the April 8, 2005 murder of Laura Ling, a 43-year-old librarian, in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her 15-year-old daughter. He was also convicted of shooting and killing Henry Lee Turner, a 74-year-old, in Conway, South Carolina, the same day. Stanko was sentenced to death in 2006 for the Ling murder and again in 2009 for the Turner murder. He was executed by lethal injection on June 13, 2025, at Broad River Correctional Institution.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Feb 20, 1996, Goose Creek, South Carolina
Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill
Berkeley County Sheriff's Office · Berkeley County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Feb 23, 1996 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Incarcerated as part of 10-year sentence
Stanko attacked his girlfriend with intent to kill by attempting to strangle her with a bleach-soaked washcloth.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Stanko, Stephen; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Feb 20, 1996, Goose Creek, South Carolina
Kidnapping
Berkeley County Sheriff's Office · Berkeley County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Feb 23, 1996 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Incarcerated as part of 10-year sentence
On February 20, 1996, Stanko attempted to suffocate his girlfriend with a bleach-soaked cloth placed over her mouth and tied her wrists and ankles. She escaped and called police. He was arrested on February 23, 1996 and a Berkeley County grand jury indicted him in April 1996.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Stanko, Stephen; Stephen Stanko; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Conway, South Carolina
Murder of Henry Lee Turner
Horry County Sheriff's Office · Horry County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code § 16-3-20 · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death
On April 8, 2005, Stanko shot and killed 74-year-old Henry Lee Turner, a retired Air Force master sergeant, at Turner's home in Conway, South Carolina. Stanko and Turner knew each other. Stanko stole Turner's 1996 Mazda pickup truck. Stanko was convicted on November 19, 2009, and sentenced to death.
SourcesStanko loses appeal in Conway murder; Stephen Stanko; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Kidnapping of Ling's daughter
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · Georgetown County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 110 years (concurrent with other sentences)
Stanko kidnapped and restrained the 15-year-old daughter of Laura Ling with rope and held her captive while sexually assaulting her and slashing her throat with a knife. She survived and called 911 for help.
SourcesStephen Stanko; State v. Stanko :: 2008 :: South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions; Murder on his Mind
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Conway, South Carolina
Armed Robbery of Henry Lee Turner
Horry County Sheriff's Office · Horry County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (concurrent with Turner murder conviction)
Stanko robbed Henry Lee Turner of his pickup truck on April 8, 2005.
SourcesStanko loses appeal in Conway murder; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Armed Robbery
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · Georgetown County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 110 years (as part of sentence for Ling crimes)
Stanko robbed Laura Ling of her ATM card and vehicle as part of the April 8, 2005 crime spree.
SourcesEx-Con Writer Convicted of S.C. Murder; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Murder of Laura Ling
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · Georgetown County Circuit Court · Docket 26442 · South Carolina Code § 16-3-20 · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death
On April 8, 2005, Stanko strangled Laura Ling (43), his live-in girlfriend and a librarian, in their shared home in Murrells Inlet while her 15-year-old daughter was present. He beat and sexually assaulted the daughter before strangling Ling. Stanko was convicted on August 18, 2006, and sentenced to death.
SourcesMurder on his Mind; State v. Stanko :: 2008 :: South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions; Stephen Stanko; Stephen Stanko
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · Georgetown County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code § 16-3-655 · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 110 years (as part of sentence for Ling crimes)
Stanko sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on April 8, 2005, in the home he shared with her mother, Laura Ling.
SourcesStephen Stanko; State v. Stanko :: 2008 :: South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions; Murder on his Mind
Offense date Apr 08, 2005, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill of Ling's daughter
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · Georgetown County Circuit Court · South Carolina Code · Arrested Apr 12, 2005 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 110 years (as part of sentence for Ling crimes)
Stanko beat and slashed the throat of a 15-year-old girl with intent to kill on April 8, 2005. She survived and made the 911 call for help.
SourcesState v. Stanko :: 2008 :: South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions; Stephen Stanko; Stephen Stanko
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
2
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
2005–2005
Stated motive
Financial gain, Anger or revenge
Range from home
regional
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Died
2025-06-13 · executed
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Georgetown County Sheriff's Office · SC
Investigated and charged murder of Laura Ling, kidnapping and rape of Ling's daughter, and armed robbery on 2005-04-08
South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services · SC
Stanko was on parole when he committed the 2005 murders
Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office · SC
Prosecuted 2005 charges for murders of Laura Ling and Henry Lee Turner; represents Horry and Georgetown counties
Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office · SC
Prosecuted 1996 charges for assault and battery with intent to kill and kidnapping in Berkeley County
South Carolina Department of Corrections · SC
Housed Stanko at Broad River Correctional Institution; carried out execution on June 13, 2025
South Carolina Supreme Court · SC
Agency case State v. Stanko, 26442 (2008)
Reviewed appeals and issued death warrants; affirmed convictions
Source: South Carolina Supreme Court
Horry County Sheriff's Office · SC
Investigated and charged murder of Henry Lee Turner and armed robbery on 2005-04-08
Berkeley County Sheriff's Office · SC
Investigated and charged assault and battery with intent to kill and kidnapping on 1996-02-20
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
GA
Augusta, Georgia
Apr 12, 2005 – Apr 12, 2005 · Arrested by U.S. Marshals Service at a shopping center.
SC
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Jul 2004 – Apr 2005 · Rented a room for almost a year; parole supervision required.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Jul 2004 – Apr 2005 · Various jobs including library research work.
Georgetown, South Carolina
Apr 12, 2005 – Aug 2006 · Held pending trial in Georgetown County Detention Center.
South Carolina
Aug 2006 – Jun 13, 2025 · Broad River Correctional Institution · Death row inmate.
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1996 Black Mazda Pickup truck
2005 – 2005
Stolen from Henry Lee Turner on April 8, 2005. Stanko drove it to avoid capture.
Photographs by Year
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Photo from wach.com
FILE - An old South Carolina Dept. of Corrections mugshot of Stephen Stanko. (Credit: SCDOC)
FILE - Defense attorney Gerald Kelly confers with defendant Stephen Stanko during a pretrial hearing at the Georgetown County Courthouse in Georgetown, S.C., Monday, July 31, 2006. (AP Photo/Tom Mur
FILE - This photo provided by the South Carolina Department of Corrections shows the state's death chamber in Columbia, S.C., including the electric chair, right, and a firing squad chair, left. (Sout
Image for gallery: Columbia hosts Fire Prevention Parade and community block party
Timeline
Jan 13, 1968
Stephen Christopher Stanko born at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Feb 20, 1996
Stanko attempted to strangle his girlfriend with a bleach-soaked cloth in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
Feb 23, 1996
Stanko arrested and incarcerated in Berkeley County for kidnapping and assault.
Apr 1996
Berkeley County grand jury indicted Stanko for kidnapping, assault and battery with intent to kill, and nine counts of breach of trust.
Jul 2004
Stanko released from prison after serving 8½ years of a 10-year sentence.
Apr 08, 2005
Stanko strangled Laura Ling (43), sexually assaulted and slashed the throat of her 15-year-old daughter, and shot Henry Lee Turner (74) to death in Murrells Inlet and Conway, South Carolina.
Apr 12, 2005
Stanko arrested by U.S. Marshals Service in Augusta, Georgia.
Aug 18, 2006
Stanko sentenced to death for the murder of Laura Ling and 110 years in prison for related convictions.
Aug 18, 2006
Georgetown County jury convicted Stanko of murder of Laura Ling, kidnapping and rape of her daughter, assault and battery with intent to kill, and armed robbery.
Sep 23, 2007
Stanko appeared before South Carolina Supreme Court to appeal his conviction in the Laura Ling case.
Nov 19, 2009
Horry County jury convicted Stanko of murder and armed robbery in the death of Henry Lee Turner.
Nov 19, 2009
Stanko sentenced to death for the murder of Henry Lee Turner.
Jun 13, 2025
Stanko executed by lethal injection at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Courthouse News ·
South Carolina inmate says 'psychopath' defense doomed him to death row“A South Carolina death row inmate argued Tuesday he deserved a new trial in a high-profile double murder case because his defense attorney told jurors he was a 'psychopath.'”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Stanko, Stephen“Berkeley County grand jury indicted him for kidnapping, assault and battery with intent to kill and nine counts of breach of trust, with fraudulent intent for stealing cars.”
News report · Murderpedia ·
Stephen Stanko“Stanko was convicted, after a failed insanity defense, of strangling Laura Ling, 43, the librarian who lived with him outside Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, shooting Henry Lee Turner, 74, and sexually assaulting and stabbing Ling's teenage daughter, who survived and made the 911 call for help.”
News report · Post and Courier ·
Stanko loses appeal in Conway murder“Authorities say Stanko killed Ling and assaulted her teenage daughter. He then drove 25 miles to Turner's home and killed him with a shotgun.”
Law enforcement release · South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty ·
A Statement on the Execution of Stephen Stanko“On June 13, 2025, the state of South Carolina executed Stephen Stanko for the murders of Laura Ling and Henry Turner.”
News report · WACH ·
Stephen Stanko executed in South Carolina, sixth inmate since September“On November 19, 2009, Stanko was charged with his second death sentence in the Turner trial.”
News report · Grokipedia ·
Stephen Stanko“In 1996, Stephen Stanko was convicted in Berkeley County, South Carolina, on charges of assault and battery with intent to kill, kidnapping, and fraud, arising from an altercation with his girlfriend in Goose Creek.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Stephen Stanko“Stephen Christopher Stanko (January 13, 1968 – June 13, 2025) was an American prisoner who was convicted of the 2005 murders of two people in South Carolina, as well as the kidnapping and rape of the teenage daughter of one of his murder victims.”
Court record · South Carolina Supreme Court ·
State v. Stanko :: 2008 :: South Carolina Supreme Court Decisions“A jury convicted Appellant Steven C. Stanko of murder, assault and battery with intent to kill, criminal sexual conduct, two counts of kidnapping, and armed robbery and recommended Appellant be sentenced to death.”
News report · CBS News ·
Murder on his Mind“After deliberating just two hours, the jury rendered a verdict, finding Stephen Stanko guilty of killing Laura Ling and raping her teenage daughter.”
News report · Washington Post ·
Ex-Con Writer Convicted of S.C. Murder“An ex-con who co-authored a book about life in prison was convicted Friday of killing his live-in girlfriend and raping a teenager.”
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