Carolina Crimes

In the Summer of 2015, a 19 year old nursing student was found on a dark deserted stretch of road in rural Hampton County. Theories and rumors have surrounded his death but his family deserves answers.

Memorial Day usually means a day of rememberance, rest, and relaxation for most. However, on Memorial Day weekend in 2000, a group of Bamberg and Orangeburg County residents had another idea. Local banks were all closed and they saw this as an opprotunity to target on business owner in Denmark, SC and make a "withdrawal".

In 1987, a young Hungarian immigrant was found brutally murdered at her apartment complex's laundry room. Persons of interest surfaced but no real suspects emerged. It took 38 years until a volunteer came across information that could finally bring justice to her killer.

In July of1932, what was suppossed to be a routine speeding violation in Fort Mill, SC turned deadly. The repercussions of what happened on the side of US Highway 21 caused a worldwide news phenomenon reaching from Europe, South America, and Hollywood and ending at the South Carolina Governor's Mansion.

In 2019, a body was found in a driveway in Allendale County. The victim was murdered in cold blood but investigators relied on a recent traffic stop, phone records, and witness statements to bring historic charges against a very involved "acqunaintance".

In 2007, a wonderful and free spirited young woman fell into a relationship with a very troubled man. He exhibited all the signs of an unpredictable and short fused partner. Unfortunately, his temper turned deadly one February morning.

In 2015, a Pendelton, SC called 911 after discovering four senior citizens and family members murdered in their home. Investigators were stumped until a pair of shoes told the tale that was much closer to home than they ever thought.

In 2015, a Summerville couple that owned their own small businesses were experiencing challenges financially and mentally. On a May night, they stopped at one of their jewlery stores which resulted in the mysterious death of one of them.

In 1984, a stalwart in the Garden City,SC community was living out his golden years while continuing to have a hand in his property management business. His daily routine was fairly consistent and predictable until his son received an unbelievable phone call one night from a man claimhing to "have" his father.

In the Summer of 1978, a young vivacious waitress from Massachusetts was establishing her roots and enjoying her youth in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She had a solid circle of friends, a cool job, and lived steps away from the beach. It was a shock when she went missing but an even more heartbreaking one when a construction worker made an awful discovery. Please help her family find justice.

In the 1990's the Hispanic population of Greenwood,SC was growing rapidly. Church Leaders needed to find an individual to connect them to the community and perform outreach missions. They thought they had the perfect candidate while in reality he was the perfect monster.

This week, we are joined by Machinery Technichian Chief Perry Sutton USCG retired,who enlightens us about what it was like protecting South Carolina's Coast for over 30 years.

In 1985, a mysterious house fire in Hartsville,SC led investigators to a deceased elderly man who they believed to be a victim of the fire. While technically he was, there was much more to the story and the condition in which he was found.

This week we dive into two cases from South Carolina's history that prove that your past will always come back to haunt you. One from 1959 in Beaufort County and the other a very recent financial crime.

In 2002, a college football player was visiting a Columbia, SC nightclub when he fell victim to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and around the wrong people. When the investigation settled and justice was served a weak spot in the justice system was exposed 20 years later.

In 2003, a beloved member of the Johnsonville community was found murdered in her driveway. Suspects were hard to come by until they started peeling back layers and hearing rumors that turned their attention to two people very close to the deceased.

Job opportunities in 1907 Norway,SC were few and far between. Families that did not own land were destined to be sharcroppers for the wealthy. One sharecropper tried to excercise his right to freedom and choice of whom to work for which resulted in one dead, two injured annd a historic court case in American history.

In 1974, a retired Florence teacher frantically called the Shriff's Department. She had been bound and gagged, assaulted and her husband was missing. When investigators got the description of the assailant, it sounded oddly familiar but it couldn't be the man they were thinking of. He had been committed to the State Hospital. So you can imagine their surprise when they learned of his escape!

In 1905, a troupe of traveling performers had just finished up a show in Gaffney, SC and looked for lodging before their train left town the next morning. The Inn that they chose to stay at was anything but hospitable. The scene played out like a real life "made for the stage" drama, rife with sexual harrassment,chivalry, a peeping tom, fistacuffs and finally murder.

In 1979, a Colleton County man was sentenced to death by electrocution in connection with a heinous roadside murder. After an appeal was filed and a tecnical mistep was discovered, he was granted a new trial and exonerated. However, some people can't handle a second chance.

In 1924, a Sumter,SC physician was found dead in his home due to multiple gunshot wounds. His wife was also found unresponsive and needed to be hospitalized. Mystery swirled around exactly how they got in this condition and who the perpetrator was.

In the Summer of 1976, the new owner of Magic Harbor Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach was doing his best to turn the park around. He was starting to experience success with an uptick in visitors and coming close to turning a profit when a masked intruder ruined it all.

In 2013, an young man went missing in Lancaster County. Due to where he was found, police had a suspect in mind. What really happened that October night blew the minds of even the most seasoned investigators.

In the midst of Great Depression era Columbia, a young man was celebrating his 15th birthday. Intrigued by the prospect of a job opprotunity, he accepted a ride from a strange man as his mother looked on. Little did she nor the rest of the city realize that would be her son's last ride.

Acknowledgments and credits to:

The New York Times 3/14/1934
Missing in the Carolinas and Renne Roberson
The State 12/26/1933

In August of 2020, a 25 year old man went missing in Myrtle Beach,SC. With no solid leads, authorities began to lean on his three roomates eventually unearthing what really happened one unsettling night on a "haunted road".

In the summer of 1991, an unhinged individual went to the Easley,SC Wal-Mart with terrible intentions. Over the span of thirty minutes, he had committed a litany of felonies that left two precious souls deceased. His motive was unknown, his method was unthinkable, and the results tragic.

This week, we bring you two wild Christmas tales from the palmetto state and get some amazing stories from our in studio guest, Chief Perry Sutton from his over 30 years serving our country in The U.S. Coast Guard.

After a terrible storm in 1985, an Aiken County mother awoke to realize her 4 year old son was missing from his bed. Searches, investigations, and theories were abound. We take a in depth look into the circumstances and possibilities surrounding his disappearance and prayers for his family that he may be found.

Six months removed from "The Summer of Love", the United States was a powder keg of change, violence, courage, and citizens fighting for their beliefs. South Carolina was no different and in the town of Orangeburg, students from the then South Carolina State College voiced their displeasures of wrong doings in the community. A week of tumult, unrest, and violence all culminated on the night of February 8, 1968 on the campus lawn.

Thanksgiving in 1857 was very similar to what it is today. A time to get together with family, reflect on the things we are thankful for , and sharing a huge feast. A plantation owning family soon learned a lesson that their meal wasn't what was expected, especially when you are cruel and inhumane to the "cook".

In 1989, a young man ran afoul of the law and needed legal representation. His family got him the best of the best. With light sentences behind him, he re-entered society but still didn't fly right. His criminal exploits landed him several life sentences but that's far from where the story ends.

In 1997, a young Columbia couple had their whole lives in front of them. They were enjoying a new a budding romance, the prospect of college life, and their whole future. Unfortunately, not everyone wished the two well. Especially the ex boyfriend who just couldn't accept the situation.

In the second installment of this episode, the FBI starts to close in and put the pieces of the puzzle together before doling out justice to the masterminds of the McDonald's Monopoly scam that lasted from 1989-2001.

In 2001, an anonymous tipster called a local Florida FBI office alledging that the popular McDonald's Monopoly promotion had been rigged. The tip was taken with a grain of salt until a brilliant but sometimess overzealous young FBI agent started digging. What he discovered would shock Ronald McDonald out of his red shoes.

In this week's episode, we get you ready for Halloween. We discuss ghosts, spectres, and the parnormal from around South Carolina, complete with headless horsemen, creepy graveyards, unrequited love, and an unconcious preacher!

On Halloween Night 1958, two strangers met at a late night bar in Charleston, SC. As the night went on, the two bar hopped before eventually ending up at one of their posh Queen St. home. Winthin an hour one man lay dead and the other fled. While the murder sounded like something straight out of the board game "Clue", it was the trial and media coverage that made this case more than noteworthy.

For over 180 years, a 200 acre plot of land was home to the South Carolina State Hospital that went through many name changes. Intent on being a humane way to treat and house the mentally ill, it was for some the last stop before a cruel death. We will examine testimony, stories from former employees and patients, give an overview of the history, and the cruelty that occurred in the heart of our capitol city.

In 2017, a beloved young man who had a remarkable comeback story was the victim of an evil trap. What he thought would be an innocent meet up with a young lady did not go as planned. His loving family frantically searched for him until the sinister plan was discovered.

In a case that captured national attention in 1929, a beautiful young schoolteacher went missing one Friday afternoon. Her husband was ill and in bed all day, at least according to him. This week we cover the scandal that spurred legend, lore, and facination for the past century in York County.

At the turn of 20th century, a sucessful peddler in Aiken county was well liked and respected by most, but not all. A customer on his route developed a deep seeded and irrational hatred for the man and acted on it one fateful day in 1903. The episode is chock full of changing stories, alternative narratives, and an unbelievable trial.