Man gets 10 years in hatchet death in Spartanburg

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — A Spartanburg man charged with murder in the death of another man last May has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg reported (http://bit.ly/JcXpaq) 37-year-old Jason William Masters was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Masters and Donnie Earl Smith Jr. had argued about missing medication on May 3, 2011, before Smith was killed.

Sheriff’s deputies found Smith outside Masters’ home covered in blood.

Masters told deputies he had been attacked.

Circuit Judge Derham Cole sentenced Masters as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

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Information from: Herald-Journal, http://www.goupstate.com/