Man convicted of knife murder of girlfriend asks judge to shorten prison sentence

GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) – A Greenville man who stabbed his girlfriend more than a dozen times is asking a judge to reconsider his lengthy prison sentence.

David Thompson, who was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2014 death of his girlfriend, 25-year-old Jennifer Youngblood, is serving a 35-year prison sentence. Prosecutors say Thompson stabbed Youngblood 17 times and left her body for her mother to find.

Although the charge was initially murder, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, a less serious offense, in 2015.

Today, Thompson is asking a judge to reconsider his sentence, citing battered person syndrome – a form of PTSD that comes with being in an abusive relationship. Youngblood's friend told FOX Carolina that's simply not true.

After the 2015 conviction, Thompson's attorney filed a motion for a retrial, but the motion was never served, leaving the matter unresolved for nine years.

The court faces a new challenge. The original judge, the prosecutor and Thompson's attorney have all retired or moved on. Normally, the same judge would rule on the motions, but now the court must first determine who has jurisdiction.

If the court finds Thompson to be a victim of abuse, he could be eligible for parole after serving just a quarter of his sentence, which is roughly what is happening now.

If the motion is not granted, Thompson will likely have to serve the entire 35-year sentence and will not be released until 2044, according to his lawyer.

We looked into Thompson's criminal history and found that he previously pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill and several weapons offenses. Youngblood's friend, who asked not to be identified, said Thompson is now trying to shift the blame onto an innocent victim.

Before the ruling can be appealed, the judge must first determine who has the authority to rule on the motion. On Friday, the judge said in court that he would issue an order soon. Thompson's lawyer expects another hearing in the coming weeks.

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