Regal Westgate Mall Cinema 8

50sSNIPES on October 11, 2025 at 3:35 pm

The Westgate Mall Cinemas I-VI opened its doors on General Cinema on February 17, 1984, but was taken over by Litchfield Theatres in 1989, and was renamed Westgate Mall Cinemas. Unfortunately, the theater went into a serious dark path during its life as a Litchfield theater.

The Westgate Mall Cinemas became statewide headlines following the murders of employee Alexander George Hopps and assistant manager James Todd Green who worked at the Westgate Mall Cinemas on the evening of January 7, 1991.

According to authorities, two 22-year-old men, Richard Longworth of Lake Lanier and David Rocheville of Duncan, employees from the Converse Cinemas nearby also operated by Litchfield, walked into the unattended front of the theater, entered into one of the auditoriums, and watched “Dances With Wolves” for a short time. Both Rocheville and Longworth are born eight days apart in January 1968. While watching “Wolves”, they silently planning on the attack. Longworth gave Rocheville his .44 Magnum pistol and told detectives that he planned to knock one of the employees, 19-year-old Alexander George Hopps of Spartanburg, unconscious and leave him out back of the theater. Instead, Hopps was shot in the left temple, killing him.

Rocheville gave the gun back to Longworth and the men went around front. 24-year-old James Todd Green of Pacolet, the assistant manager of the theater, let them in. After that, Longworth drew the gun on Green and said “Sorry, we’re going to rob the theater” right after entering back. Longworth said Green became so nervous that it took him three attempts to open the safe. Green was forced outside to an unknown-modeled minivan belonging to Longworth’s father. Rocheville went through Green’s car looking for bank deposit bags of money. In the van, Longworth gave Rocheville the gun and said, “If he moves, shoot him”. Longworth said that he told Green that he wouldn’t be hurt, and Green promised not to identify Rocheville and Longworth if they would let him go.

The two drove to Bishop Road off U.S. Highway 176 near Inman, and Longworth said he told Green to get out, walk five paces, kneel down and look straight ahead. Both men got out and shot Green in the back of the head as he pleaded for his life. Green’s body was later discovered the following day with his hands clasped in a prayerful manner. Longworth and Rocheville were arrested the next day, after Rocheville led law enforcement officers to Green’s body. After Longworth was arrested, he provided officers with a detailed statement of the crimes that he and Rocheville had committed. Rocheville admitted that he killed Green but said that he was coerced into it and claimed that he was afraid that Longworth would kill him. Longworth claimed in his appeals that he had ineffective counsel during his trial. His trial attorney represented both Longworth and his parents, which he said resulted in a conflict of interest. Longworth said that his mother’s history of domestic violence and alcohol abuse were mitigating circumstances that were withheld from the jury due to this conflict of interest. His mother had requested the information be kept secret as she would have lost her position as a foster parents. Each was indicted on two counts of murder, one count of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery.

Rocheville’s parents, originally from Massachusetts, broke down into tears during testimony in July 1991, adding that “they’re proud of their son, but not what happened. Without their son, there would be a piece missing”. They added that “they want their son to live, and wanted him to live for all the good he has done”. Unfortunately, the parents' lives shattered that same week. Separate juries convicted them and sentenced them to death. Rocheville was sentenced to death on July 15, 1991, while Longworth was sentenced to death on September 10, 1991. Spending the rest of their lives at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, Rocheville was executed on December 3, 1999, while Longworth was executed more than five years later, on April 15, 2005.

Longworth was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. after being executed by lethal injection at the Broad River Correctional Institution. It was the 958th execution in the United States since the Gregg v. Georgia decision in 1976. For his last meal, Longworth had a hamburger, French fries, and a chocolate milkshake. Longworth wrote his final statement before his execution:

• “I am morally and legally responsible for what happened. I hope they also know how deeply, truly sorry I am for what I have done. I hope my death brings them the peace they deserve. I hope my family knows how much I love them, and how ashamed I am that I have tarnished their name. For the last 14 years I have tried to live my life as cleanly and as honorably as I was raised.” – Richard Longworth

Litchfield Theatres continued to operate the theater after the murders, but Regal ended up taking the theater over in June 1994, but retained the Litchfield branding until October 25, 1996.

decobuff on July 23, 2019 at 6:07 am

The logo in the ad indicates that it is/was a General Cinema Theatre