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Marion Bowman South Carolina Death Row

Marion Bowman would be sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the murder of a young mother. According to court documents Marion Bowman would shoot Kandee Martin, put her body into the trunk of a car and set the vehicle on fire. Marion Bowman would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Marion Bowman 2021 Information

Admission Date: 5/23/2002

Location: Broad River

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On February 17, 2001, Kandee Martin’s (victim’s) body was found in the trunk of her burned car. She had been shot to death before being placed in the trunk.

The previous day, several people gathered at Hank Koger’s house to socialize and drink alcohol. Appellant, who was wearing black pants, arrived at Koger’s house around 11:00 a.m. that day. He subsequently left to purchase meat. When appellant returned, he became upset because his gun had been moved. He accused James Tywan Gadson (Gadson) ¹ of taking the gun out of the trash barrel located on Koger’s property. Hiram Johnson intervened and told appellant he had moved the gun. The gun was a .380 caliber pistol that appellant had purchased a few weeks before in the presence of Gadson and Travis Felder. After retrieving his gun, appellant left Koger’s house.

Later that afternoon, appellant was riding in the car of his sister, Yolanda Bowman, with another woman, Katrina West. Appellant, who had a gun in his back pocket, was sitting in the back seat. He instructed Yolanda to park beside the victim’s car. At the time, the victim was speaking to a man. Appellant tried to get the victim’s attention, but she indicated to him that he should wait a moment. The man, Yolanda, and Katrina testified as to what appellant said next. The man stated that appellant said, “Fuck waiting a minute. I’m about to kill this bitch.” Yolanda stated that appellant said, “Fuck it, that bitch. That bitch be dead by dark.” Katrina stated that appellant said, “Fuck that ride. That bitch be dead by dark fall.” After appellant’s comments, Yolanda drove away and appellant informed her the victim owed him money.

Around 7:30 p.m. that evening, Tywan Gadson saw appellant riding with the victim in her car. They stopped and appellant told Gadson to get in. Gadson had been drinking alcohol since 1:00 and was “feeling in good shape.” The victim stopped for gas and they drove off without paying. Appellant allegedly instructed the victim where to drive and instructed her to stop on Nursery Road. Gadson and appellant then exited the vehicle and walked down the road while the victim remained in the car. Appellant told Gadson he was going to kill the victim because she had on a wire. The victim then came down the road, grabbed appellant’s arm and stated she was scared. At this point, a car drove by and they all jumped into the woods. Then, the victim started walking to the car with appellant following her. Appellant allegedly shot his gun three times. Gadson stated the victim ran toward him and then stopped and faced appellant and told him to please not shoot her anymore because she had a child to take care of. Gadson stated appellant shot two more times. The victim fell to the ground and appellant dragged her body into the woods. Gadson stated he jumped into the car.

Afterwards, appellant and Gadson parked the victim’s car and later retrieved Yolanda’s car. They then went to a store to purchase beer and went back to Koger’s house around 8:00 p.m. Later, Gadson stayed at Koger’s house and appellant left. Around 11:30 p.m., appellant and Hiram Johnson approached James Gadson, Gadson’s father. Appellant gave him money to buy four pairs of gloves.

Appellant, Gadson, Hiram Johnson, and Darian Williams, then drove to Murray’s Club in the victim’s car. Appellant handed out the gloves for the occupants to wear and stated he had stolen the car. They reached the club around midnight. Once at the club, appellant tried to sell the victim’s car. Appellant, according to Hiram Johnson, said, “I killed Kandee, heh, heh, heh.” Appellant had a gun with him while at the club. They left the club an hour or two after arriving there.

Three people, Carolyn Brown, Valorna Smith, and Travis Felder, left the club together. They stopped by a gas station about 3:00 a.m. before proceeding to Valorna’s home. Not long after they were there, appellant knocked on the door and asked for Travis. Travis left and came back after a few minutes. He seemed normal upon his return.

Travis testified appellant, who was wearing black jeans at the time, stated he needed Travis’ help to park a car which turned out to be the victim’s car. Travis followed appellant to Nursery Road. Appellant parked the car, went into the woods and pulled the victim’s body out by her feet. Appellant then put her body in the trunk. While putting her body in the trunk, Travis saw a gun tucked into appellant’s waist. Appellant allegedly told Travis, “you didn’t think I did it, did you?” Travis testified appellant also stated, “I killed Kandee Martin.” Appellant lit the car on fire. Travis then took appellant to his home and went back to Valorna’s house.²

A resident of Nursery Road who had previously heard gunshots was awakened late in the night by a loud noise. He investigated and discovered a car on fire. The fire was reported at 3:54 a.m. There were .380 Winchester cartridge casings found not far from the scene. The casings, a blood stain, and a shoe were located with the help of a man who had driven by and seen the victim’s car stopped on the road around 8:00 p.m. the previous evening.

The next day, police arrested appellant at his wife’s house and seized his black pants. His wife testified he had been wearing the pants when he arrived at the house. They found a wristwatch belonging to the victim in appellant’s pants.

After the police left, appellant’s wife, Dorothy Bowman, found appellant’s gun in a chair in her home. She allegedly gave the gun to appellant’s father. The next day, appellant’s father, Yolanda, and appellant’s other sister, Kendra, took the gun and dropped it off a bridge into the Edisto River. It was later retrieved from the Edisto River and determined to be the gun that was used in the murder.

The arson investigator testified there was the presence of a heavy petroleum product on appellant’s jeans, but the product was not gasoline. The items found in the car had gasoline on them indicating that was the product used to start the fire.

While the following evidence did not come out during the guilt phase, during the sentencing phase, a video was introduced during Travis Felder’s testimony. The video showed Travis purchasing gasoline in a gasoline can at about 3:14 a.m. Appellant was not with him on the video. Travis stated appellant gave him the can for the gas and told him he needed $2-3 worth. When appellant set fire to the victim’s car, he retrieved the gas can from Travis’ car.

At the conclusion of the guilt phase, the jury found appellant guilty of murder and third-degree arson.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1165608.html

Ricky Blackwell South Carolina Death Row

Ricky Blackwell was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the murder of a child. According to court documents Ricky Blackwell would grab eight year old Heather Brooke Center, shoot the little girl in the head and then proceed to shoot her three more times before shooting himself. Ricky Blackwell would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Ricky Blackwell 2021 Information

Admission Date: 03/17/2014

Location: Broad River

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An 8-year-old girl who wanted to spend Wednesday afternoon swimming was brutally shot to death by the estranged husband of her father’s girlfriend, authorities say.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office plans to charge 50-year-old Ricky Lee Blackwell, of 248 Ridings Road, with murder and kidnapping once he recovers from surgery.

Officials said Blackwell grabbed the child, put her in a headlock and shot her once in the head not far from his double-wide mobile home. The man proceeded to shoot her at least three more times as she was falling to the ground, and perhaps while she was on the ground, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said.

The tragedy occurred about 3 p.m. on 244 Ridings Road — a narrow road in a rural area of Spartanburg County not far south of Highway 11 between Chesnee and New Prospect. A few mobile homes are the only dwellings on the road.

Blackwell and his wife used to live together on Ridings Road, though the two are now separated. Their adult daughter lives in a unit nearby, at 244 Ridings Road — the scene of the crime.

Blackwell’s estranged wife brought her boyfriend’s child, Heather, to 244 Ridings Road Wednesday afternoon to go swimming.

“When she got here, her estranged husband showed up — he lives next door — I don’t know if he saw her pull in, if he knew she was coming or what,” said Master Deputy Tony Ivey with the Sheriff’s Office said. “That’s when everything took place.”

Heather Brooke Center, 8, of 981 Lightwood Knot Road in Woodruff, died from a gunshot wound to the head, Clevenger said. He called the shooting “heinous.”

Deputies were dispatched to the scene just before 3 p.m., a criminal domestic violence call.

They arrived and saw the girl, Heather, lying facedown in a driveway. She had a gunshot wound in one leg, a pool of blood in the center of her back, and blood coming from her right ear, according to an incident report. She did not show any signs of life.

Witnesses said Blackwell fled into the nearby woods. Investigators arrived and began searching for him.

Blackwell emerged and shot himself in the side, Sheriff Chuck Wright said. When asked whether that was an attempt at suicide, Wright said he thought so.

“Once our officers got on the scene, people here, at the home, began to point in the direction of Ricky’s home and said, ‘He’s that way.’ That’s when deputies began sweeping the area,” Ivey said.

Deputies had their guns drawn and ordered the man to drop his weapon. He wouldn’t, Ivey said. They did not fire at Blackwell, Wright said.

Late Wednesday, Blackwell was just out of surgery. Wright said investigators wanted to make sure he was fully coherent before they interviewed him so there would be “no excuses” later on.

How long Blackwell and his estranged wife have been separated wasn’t immediately clear.

“It’s a bad scene,” Wright said. “You have a baby who is deceased who had nothing to do with it. It’s pitiful.”

Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they rarely heard any commotion from the residences over on Ridings Road.

“He must have just lost it,” one neighbor said. “I really don’t know why he done what he done. But in my mind, Ricky has always been a fine man.”

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090709/ARTICLES/907091035/0/BLOGS

Steven Bixby South Carolina Death Row

Steven Bixby was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for a double murder. According to court documents Arthur Bixby, his wife Rita and his son Steven Bixby were involved in a standoff with police that left two people dead: Abbeville County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Daniel “Danny Boy” Wilson and State Constable Donnie Ouzts. Steven Bixby would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Steven Bixby 2021 Information

Admission Date: 02/21/2007

Location: Broad River

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On the morning of December 4, 2003, SCDOT officials first met the Bixby family after discovering someone had tampered with the surveyor’s stakes on the family’s property. SCDOT Construction Superintendent Glen McCaffrey approached the Bixby home to discuss the road widening project. McCaffrey was accompanied by fellow SCDOT employees Dale Williams and Mike Hannah.

Superintendent McCaffrey showed the construction plans to Appellant, his mother, Rita Bixby, and father, Arthur Bixby, and attempted to persuade them that the SCDOT held a right of way across their property. The Bixbys responded with threats of violence and claimed they would fight to the death if anyone tried to do any construction work on the property.¹ Right of Way Agent Williams told them that SCDOT officials would have to get the Sheriff involved, to which the Bixbys responded that they would kill law enforcement officials if anyone “trespassed” on their property.

SCDOT officials McCaffrey, Williams, and Hannah went to the Sheriff’s department, reported the encounter, and conveyed that there was a “serious situation” at the Bixby home. Because these men feared the Bixbys’ threats, they requested that an officer be assigned to mediate the situation.

Friday, December 5, 2003

Around noon on Friday, December 5, 2003, Appellant discussed the road construction project with Dr. Mark Horton, a dentist whose office was near the Bixby home. Steven Bixby and Dr. Horton talked about dealings with the SCDOT. Horton told Steven Bixby that he had hired an attorney and that Dr. Horton, his lawyer, and the SCDOT had set a time to discuss the construction’s impact on Horton’s property. Describing his conversation with Appellant, Horton testified as follows:

․ first he told me that he was from New Hampshire and he said that, you know, their motto was something like, you know, if I can’t-I’d rather be dead if I can’t be free, something like that. And at one point he said that, I’ve got something that’s going to blow this whole project out of the water, and I took that to mean that he had some information or something. But he was becoming somewhat agitated and I kept telling him that, well, I thought it best if he’d get an attorney and look over his situation and see if they could resolve it. So basically I wished him well and told him that you need to get an attorney, that I had to get one, and I hoped that things would get resolved. But you know, he did seem agitated and he said at one point I think that, they’ll take my land over my cold, dead body.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., SCDOT Superintendent McCaffrey contacted Rita Bixby, informing her that he had documents concerning the right of way. Also on the phone with McCaffrey were Williams, Hannah, and Joe McCurry, a fellow SCDOT employee. McCaffrey requested that the Bixbys and SCDOT officials meet the following Monday (December 8, 2003) to discuss the right of way. Rita responded by saying, “Anything you got is lies.” Although eventually agreeing to the December 8, 2003 meeting, Rita said that if the men wanted to show her the documents they could meet her at the family’s home in five minutes. Three of the SCDOT officials left to meet with Rita. Williams, however, refused to go because he feared the situation might become violent.

When the SCDOT officials arrived at the Bixby home, Rita told them that the documents were forgeries and threatened that her family “would fight till the last breath and there would be hell to pay.” She demanded that no construction take place. McCaffrey said they would have to come back with a deputy. Rita replied that the Sheriff’s department had no authority over them on private property.

Sunday, December 7, 2003

On the evening of December 7, 2003, Appellant, Steven Bixby went to a social gathering at the home of Alane Taylor, his former girlfriend. Appellant told Alane, “Tomorrow is the day.” Alane asked Steven to explain and he said, “We have all the guns loaded in my dad’s house and if anybody comes in the yard we will shoot and if the shooting starts I won’t come out alive.” Steven also said that this had been planned for some time and that his mother Rita planned to take his brother to Steven’s apartment while Steven and Arthur stayed at the house. Alane attempted to talk Steven out of his planned violence.

Additionally, while at Alane’s house, Appellant told Alane’s daughter, Dana Newton, he intended to shoot law enforcement if they came on his parents’ property. Newton testified that Appellant said, “I will, I’ll blow their mother f* * * * * * heads off if they step one step onto my parent’s property. I will.”

Alane and Dana called Abbeville Deputy Barry New, a relative, and told him about Steven Bixby’s comments. They said they were concerned that harm would come to anyone that went to the Bixby home. Deputy New called his supervisor and left a message conveying the warnings.

Monday, December 8, 2003

At 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 8, 2003, Deputy Wilson met with SCDOT officials McCaffrey, Williams, and Hannah to discuss SCDOT’s prior confrontation with the Bixbys and plan for that morning’s meeting with the family. After discussing the matter, Deputy Wilson headed straight to the Bixby home. SCDOT officials Williams and Hannah left shortly thereafter.

As Williams and Hannah approached the Bixby home in their vehicle, they noticed that Deputy Wilson’s car was in the driveway.² However, Deputy Wilson was nowhere to be seen. Williams and Hannah drove past the Bixby home for fear that it was not safe. They drove past again and noticed that the blinds were closed but peep holes were cut into them. The third time they drove past the house they saw Appellant standing in the doorway holding a pistol in one hand and a rifle in the other.

At around 9:30 a.m., Appellant placed a phone call to his mother, Rita, who was at Appellant’s apartment with his brother. Appellant informed Rita that the shooting had begun. Rita placed phone calls to the Governor’s office, the Attorney General’s office, and Dr. Craig Gagon, a family friend and local chiropractor. Dr. Gagon went to the Bixby residence.

Arriving at the Bixby home at approximately 9:40 a.m., Dr. Gagon saw two law enforcement officers standing in the front yard of the Bixby home. He heard a shot come from the home and saw Constable Ouzts fall to the ground, mortally wounded. As news of the confrontation spread, several officers arrived and were able to retrieve Constable Ouzts’s body. Additionally, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) dispatched approximately fifty agents and tactical support.

After determining Rita’s whereabouts, David Alford, an investigator with the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Department, apprehended her at Appellant’s apartment and transported her to a temporary command center near the Bixby home. While at the command center, Rita refused to help Alford and the SLED agents diffuse the situation stating, “Why would I want to help you, I wanted to be inside with them today but they made me stay outside to tell the world why they died.” All other attempts to contact Appellant and his father inside the home were unsuccessful.

At approximately 7:30 p.m., SLED sent robots equipped with cameras toward the house where they were able to peer through a window. The cameras captured footage of Deputy Wilson, who was face down on the floor of the Bixbys’ living room with his hands cuffed behind him. He was dead. A team of officers entered the home and retrieved Deputy Wilson’s body, which was already stiff from rigor mortis.

At approximately 8:55 p.m., SLED sent another robot into the Bixby home. Arthur fired a shot at the robot, and he and Appellant began firing at the officers outside the house. The officers returned fire and shot tear gas into the home.

The gun fight continued until at approximately 9:25 p.m. when Appellant surrendered and notified police that Arthur was wounded. Again, a robot was sent into the house. Video transmitted by the robot confirmed that Arthur had been shot and was sitting on the bathroom floor surrounded by weapons. At approximately 11:00 p.m., Arthur crawled into the living room and surrendered to authorities.

In August 2004, Appellant was indicted by an Abbeville County Grand Jury on one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of kidnapping, two counts of murder, one count of possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a violent crime, and twelve counts of assault with intent to kill. The State sought the death penalty for the murders of Deputy Wilson and Constable Ouzts.

A jury trial began on February 14, 2007. On February 18, 2007, the jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged on each count. At the end of the penalty phase, the jury recommended that Appellant be sentenced to death. The trial judge sentenced Appellant to death finding the evidence warranted the penalty and the sentence was not imposed as a result of prejudice, passion, or any other arbitrary factor.³

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1535325.html

Johnny O’Landis Bennett South Carolina Death Row

Johnny O’Landis Bennett was sentenced to death by the State of North Carolina for a kidnapping and murder. According to court documents Johnny O’Landis Bennett would kidnap Benton Smith who was forced to cash his unemployment check and then would be murdered. Johnny O’Landis Bennett would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Johnny O’Landis Bennett 2021 Information

Admission Date: 10/19/1995

Location: Broad River

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The victim in this case, 24 year old Benton Smith (Victim), disappeared on Tuesday, November 27, 1990. He was last seen leaving his residence in the Happy Town area of Gaston, South Carolina with Bennett. The two left in Victim’s 1980 Toyota, en route to cash Victim’s $147.00 unemployment check. Victim cashed his check at 11:56 AM; this was the last time he was seen alive. Bennett was seen driving Victim’s automobile later that day; he gave a number of items from Victim’s car to friends.

Victim’s car was subsequently found outside the school where Bennett’s mother worked. After giving a number of conflicting statements to police, Bennett confessed to the murder,¹ and led police to Victim’s body near his sister’s home.

An autopsy revealed 70-75 stab wounds, primarily to Victim’s head, neck and upper back, inflicted with a Phillips head screwdriver. The cause of death was internal bleeding or asphyxiation secondary to the stab wounds.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1232980.html

Quincy Allen South Carolina Death Row

Quincy Allen was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for four murders that took place during two months in 2002. According to court documents Quincy Allen would murder Dale Evonne Hall, Jedediah “Jed” Harr, Richard Calvin Hawks and Robert Shane Roush as well as committing a series of other crimes. After Quincy Allen was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death he and another inmate Mikal Deen Mahdi attempted to murder a correctional guard since both inmates were under death sentences the prosecutor declined to charge them.

South Carolina Death Row Inmate List

Quincy Allen 2021 Information

Admission Date: 03/21/2005

Location: Broad River

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At approximately 3:00 a.m. on July 7, 2002, Quincy Allen approached a homeless man, fifty-one year old James White, who was lying on a swinging bench in Finlay Park in downtown Columbia. Allen ordered White to stand up, and proceeded to shoot him in the shoulder. When White fell back to the bench, Allen ordered him to stand up and shot him again. According to Allen’s subsequent statement to police, he had just gotten the shot-gun and he used White as a practice victim because he did not know how to shoot the gun. White survived the assault.

A few days later, on July 10, 2002, Allen met a prostitute named Dale Hall on Two Notch Road in Columbia; he took her to an isolated dead end cul-de-sac near I-77 where he shot her three times with a 12 gauge shotgun, placing the shotgun in her mouth as she pleaded for her life. After shooting her, Allen left to purchase a can of gasoline, and came back to douse Hall’s body and set her on fire. He then went back to work at his job at the Texas Roadhouse Grill restaurant on Two Notch Road.

Several weeks later, on August 8, 2002, while working at the restaurant, Allen got into an argument with two sisters, Taneal and Tiffany Todd; he threatened Tiffany, who was then 12 weeks pregnant, that he was going to slap her so hard her baby would have a mark on it. Tiffany’s boyfriend Brian Marquis came to the restaurant, accompanied by his friend Jedediah Harr. After a confrontation, Allen fired his shotgun into Harr’s car, attempting to shoot Marquis; however, Allen missed Marquis and instead hit Harr in the right side of the head. As the car rolled downhill, Marquis jumped out and ran into a nearby convenience store, where he was hidden in the cooler by an employee. Allen left the convenience store, and went and set fire to the front porch of Marquis’ home. A few hours later Allen set fire to the car of Sarah Barnes, another Texas Roadhouse employee. Harr died of the shotgun blast to his head.

The following day, Allen set fire to the car of another man, Don Bundrick, whom he apparently did not know. Later that evening, August 9, 2002, Allen went to a strip club, Platinum Plus, in Columbia, where he pointed his shotgun at a patron. Allen left South Carolina and proceeded to New York City. On his way back, while in North Carolina, Allen shot and killed two men at a convenience store in Surrey County.² Allen then went to Texas, where he was apprehended by law enforcement on August 14th.

Allen gave statements to police outlining the details of his crimes. He told police he began killing people because an inmate in federal prison, where Allen spent time for stealing a vehicle, had told him he could get him a job as a mafia hit man. Allen got tired of waiting and embarked on his own killing spree. Allen told police he would have killed more people if he had had a handgun, but his prior record prohibited him from obtaining a handgun.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/sc-supreme-court/1503716.html