A former correctional officer at Turbeville Correctional Institution has been charged in connection with an attempted murder that occurred inside the prison last year, according to arrest warrants released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Shama Tenecia Toney, 42, of Dalzell, was charged with accessory after the fact to felony A, B, C or murder and misconduct in office, malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance, according to the warrants issued by the SCDC Office of the Inspector General. Toney has been terminated from her position with the agency.
The charges stem from an incident on Jan. 2, 2025, at Turbeville Correctional Institution, located at 1578 Clarence Coker Highway in Clarendon County.
According to the arrest warrants, investigators allege that Toney, who was employed at the time as a certified correctional officer, had knowledge that an inmate committed an attempted murder but failed to carry out her duties to protect inmates and staff.
The warrants allege that Toney knowingly failed to prevent another inmate from obtaining, concealing and destroying a knife used in the commission of the assault. Investigators further allege that she did not report the incident or related information to her supervisors.
The allegations are supported, according to the warrants, by institutional incident reports, video surveillance footage, still photographs, medical records, and recorded and written statements from staff members, inmates and the victim.
In a separate charge of misconduct in office, investigators allege Toney violated South Carolina common law by failing to perform her official duties. The warrants state her alleged nonfeasance allowed for a lapse in institutional safety and contributed to the destruction of evidence connected to the attempted murder.
Under South Carolina law, attempted murder is classified as a Class A felony.
The Department of Corrections emphasized that an arrest does not imply guilt. The burden of proof remains on the state to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The warrants were issued in Clarendon County Magistrate Court, and the case is expected to proceed through General Sessions Court. No additional details about the underlying attempted murder were released.
