SPARTANBURG COUNTY MAN RECEIVES 30-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR MURDER CONVICTION

A Spartanburg County man received a 30-year prison sentence this morning for shooting his girlfriend to death.

John P. Compton, 48, pleaded guilty to the murder of Karen Helton Chisholm, 46, moments before his trial was scheduled to begin. He will serve every day of Circuit Judge John Few’s prison sentence.

Compton admitted to shooting Chisholm multiple times on Feb. 17, 2006 at his Cedar Springs Road home in the Croft community. He placed the body in the trunk of his car and he arranged for the body to be dumped in Greenwood County.

Compton claimed the shooting was an accident after his arrest. Assistant Solicitor Cindy Crick told Judge Few the forensic evidence proved the case was murder.

“This was a senseless homicide that will likely result in the loss of two lives,” Crick said.

“Mr. Compton is in poor health and odds are good that he will die in prison.” Chisholm’s sister and her daughter appeared in court for the guilty plea. The sister, Mitzi Helton, told Judge Few that Chisholm was well-loved by her family and she is missed dearly.