A federal appeals court has affirmed a South Carolina death row inmate's murder conviction and sentence. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected claims by Chadrick Fulks that he was denied effective representation in court. Fulks also unsuccessfully challenged the prosecution's use of statements co-defendant Brandon Basham made to the Brunswick County sheriff.

Fulks pleaded guilty and Basham was convicted of kidnapping and killing 44-year old Alice Donovan during a two-week crime spree after they escaped from the Hopkins County Jail in 2002. Federal juries sentenced both men to death. Fulks and Basham also pleaded guilty to killing 19-year old Marshall University student Samantha Burns in West Virginia during the crime spree.