Greenville County Department of Public Safety - Detention Division, South Carolina
End of Watch: Monday, August 3, 1970
Age: 63
Tour of Duty: 12 years, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: August 3, 1970
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Knife
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Jailer James Bagwell was stabbed to death inside the old Greenville County Jail, located at 32 East Broad Street, at approximately 1:05 am.
He and another jailer attempted to move an inmate from a cell with multiple prisoners into an individual cell when the man stabbed them both. The prisoner was being transferred because he had complained of being sick.
The man was subdued inside the jail by another jailer and a Greenville City police officer who was in the jail at the time.
The 23-year-old subject was convicted of Jailer Bagwell's murder and sentenced to life.
Jailer Bagwell had served with the Greenville County Jail for 18 months. He had previously served with the Pickens County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and the Liberty Police Department. He was survived by his wife, two sons, four daughters, seven brothers, four sisters, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.