On November 7, 2024, a jury found 74-year-old Billy Dwaine Cotten guilty of the 2020 murder of 54-year-old Steven Lancaster, an auto repair shop employee. Lancaster was found by Winnsboro police in May 2020 with multiple stab wounds. Paramedics transported him to the hospital, but he later died from his injuries.
Cotten was discovered sitting in his truck outside the shop after the stabbing. During questioning, Cotten claimed the altercation started over a scooter battery when Lancaster allegedly pushed him to the ground and kicked him, prompting Cotten to fear for his life. Cotten said he pulled a knife and stabbed Lancaster. However, surveillance footage from the shop contradicted this account.
Lancaster’s wife testified that Cotten had previously threatened to stab her husband if another argument occurred between them.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Cotten of murder. Before sentencing, Cotten's defense team reached a plea agreement with the district attorney. Under the agreement, Cotten was sentenced to 15 years in state prison, waived his right to appeal, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs.
Cotten also faced a conviction for using a deadly weapon, meaning he must serve at least seven and a half years before being eligible for parole. The autopsy revealed that Lancaster suffered 14 to 15 stab wounds.
