Trial set for Cayce surgeon charged in shooting at home

A trial is scheduled for a Cayce surgeon charged with killing a medical salesman while the two were in the surgeon’s home.

The trial of Dr. Adam Lazzarini is set to begin Jan. 24 at the Lexington County courthouse.

Lazzarini, a former Lexington Medical Center hip surgeon, is accused of killing medical equipment salesman William Player Holland on Oct. 9, 2017. The two were in a bedroom of Lazzarini’s home when he shot Holland in the chest, police said. Holland grew up in Florence County and was a Citadel graduate.

Police did not charge Lazzarini immediately, but on May 1, 2018, paramedics were called to the home again. They found Lazzarini’swife — Vanessa Biery — unresponsive and were unable to revive her. An autopsy by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office into Biery’s death could not determine a cause of death.

While investigating Biery’s death, police said they uncovered evidence that Lazzarini had lied during the investigation into Holland’s shooting. Cayce police charged Lazzarini with involuntary manslaughter in Holland’s death. A warrant said that Lazzarini was drunk when he shot Holland.

Lazzarini resigned from Lexington Medical a couple weeks after being charged.

Lazzarini’s lawyer, Jack Swerling, has characterized Holland’s death as a tragic accident. The trial was scheduled to begin in May but was delayed.

“We are ready to go forward next week and quell some of the rumors that have been floating around for a couple of years,” Swerling told The State in May. “We hope that once the prosecution has presented its case, and once we have presented our case, the jury will come to the conclusion that this was an accident.”

The 11th Circuit Solictor’s Office headed by Solicitor Rick Hubbard will prosecute the case.

Already, Lazzarini’s defense and prosecution have sparred over how the trial will proceed, court records show. Prosecutors sought to get Lazzarini’s mental health records and other records, which his defense opposed. Lazzarini’s defense has asked the judge to bar mental health records and evidence from being used at trial. It’s unclear from public records if the court will allow the mental health records to be used.

This story was originally published December 28, 2021 12:32 PM.