Cheerleader's Dad: Killer going to Hell

Pernell Thompson Guilty Of Fatally Stabbing Teen

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. --
A man accused of stabbing a 16-year-old cheerleader to death while his wife held the girl down pleaded guilty to murder Monday.

Thompson entered the guilty plea to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life without parole.

Investigators said that Pernell Thompson, 22, stabbed Marisha Jeter to death while his wife, Yolanda Thompson, held Jeter down.

Investigators said that after the Thompsons killed Jeter, they threw her body in the Broad River and burned her car.

In court, the victim's father, Manning Jeter, told Thompson, "You're going to hell."

Yolanda Thompson pleaded guilty in March to all charges against her in connection to Jeter's death. Thompson agreed to cooperate in the prosecution and death penalty case against her husband.

Thompson was previously sentenced to five years for criminal conspiracy. She was to be sentenced for murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of a knife during the commission of a violent crime after her husband's trial. Since there will be no trial, the solicitor said he is now in the process of scheduling her sentencing.

According to investigators, Thompson had a relationship with Jeter while he was married. He killed Jeter to prove his love to his wife, prosecutors said.

Pernell Thompson was a football player at Wingate University for three seasons. He was an all-state player in his senior season at Jonesville High School and he made the all-state academic team three years in a row.

Jeter was a Union County High School cheerleader. Her body was found by art students taking pictures of the river.

Her father, Manning Jeter, is a former trustee on the Union County School Board.

At the hearing, Jeter said, "Your Honor, I hold myself part of the blame and you know why I hold myself part of the blame? Because I didn't kill him when he was standing at my door. I didn't kill him when he was standing in my house. When he came to my house to do my baby harm, I still tried to forgive him and give him a chance."

To Jeter he said, "(I'll) never forgive you again. You stole my heart. You stole what God gave me."

Thompson apologized, saying, ""I apologize for the part I did play, but know that under normal situations, I would definitely never cause harm to Marisha and I would never allow harm to be done to Marisha. But being that -- being put in the situation I was in -- some mistakes happened that was really unfortunate to her and her family and I'm sorry."

He said, "I know that she's in Heaven. I know she's happy and that's one thing giving me peace. I pray -- I hope -- for your forgiveness. But I know I don't need it, I received forgiveness from her."

Jeter's final words to Thompson were: "You're going straight to hell and there ain't nothing nobody can ever do to help you."

Marisha Jeter's grandfather, Lewis Jeter Junior, passed away Thursday. His funeral is Tuesday.

"He grieved himself to death," Manning Jeter told WYFF News4's Mike McCormick.