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269:. As she crossed the street towards a grocery store, she was picked up by Gardner and two other men; Matthew Carl Mack and Matthew Paul Williams. The three men kidnapped McLauchlin and took her back to a mobile home where she was raped repeatedly and assaulted. McLauchlin was then bound with a blindfold, handcuffed, and placed on the floor inside a car.
244:
for murder. Gardner was one of several men who kidnapped and raped 25-year-old
Melissa McLauchlin on December 30, 1992. McLauchlin was then shot five times by Gardner before her body was dumped on the side of a road. After the murder, Gardner fled the state and remained a fugitive for nearly two
315:
Mack and
Williams were sentenced to life in prison, while two other men who participated in the rape of McLauchlin each received less than ten years in jail as part of a plea deal. Gardner was the only person involved in the crime to receive a death sentence, as he was the one who had killed
599:"Two Cases Renew Concern Over Hate Crimes : Brutality: A white woman was murdered; a black man was torched. To many, racially motivated violence seems like a throwback to the days of lynchings generations ago. But is it?"
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As the men drove along a highway, McLauchlin broke free from the handcuffs and tried to escape. Gardner then pushed her head back and shot her twice in the face. He then dumped her body along a highway in
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The murder was racially motivated, with
Gardner making a New Year's Resolution to kill a white woman, after watching news footage of the acquittal of police officers for the
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All three men fled the state after the crime. Mack and
Williams were arrested in January 1993, but Gardner remained a fugitive for nearly two years. He was added to the
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284:. The group planned to kill a white woman as revenge for "400 years of oppression", including slavery. Notes were found explaining the motive.
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on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives list and spent nearly five months on the list before being captured.
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240:(January 15, 1970 – December 5, 2008) was an American fugitive and convicted criminal who was executed in
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On
December 30, 1992, an intoxicated 25-year-old Melissa McLauchlin locked herself out of her house in
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714:"South Carolina Man Convicted of Torture, Murder and Rape Is Executed"
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497:"Man Convicted in Killing of Woman Attacked Because of Her Race"
16:
American former fugitive executed in South
Carolina (1970–2008)
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People executed by South
Carolina by lethal injection
734:"S.C. executes 38-year-old convicted in 1992 killing"
366:
List of people executed in the United States in 2008
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where he shot her another three times, killing her.
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Racially motivated violence against white
Americans
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684:"'He's getting off free in a way,' father says"
324:Gardner was executed on December 5, 2008, via
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844:People convicted of murder by South Carolina
624:"Wanted by FBI Joseph Martin Luther Gardner"
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794:21st-century executions of American people
597:Sullivan, Christopher (January 24, 1993).
386:"South Carolina Department of Corrections"
249:list on May 25, 1994, and was captured in
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789:21st-century executions by South Carolina
361:List of people executed in South Carolina
336:. He declined to make a final statement.
304:, on October 19, 1994, and taken back to
296:list on May 25, 1994. He was captured in
814:American people convicted of kidnapping
545:"SC set to execute man for 1992 murder"
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351:Capital punishment in the United States
414:"Ten Most Wanted Fugitives 401 to 500"
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869:21st-century African-American people
864:20th-century African-American people
824:American people convicted of torture
356:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 1990s
346:Capital punishment in South Carolina
330:Broad River Correctional Institution
119:Broad River Correctional Institution
57:Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution
33:FBI profile images of Joseph Gardner
809:American people executed for murder
441:"437. Joseph Martin Luther Gardner"
742:. December 6, 2008. Archived from
690:. December 1, 2008. Archived from
660:. December 5, 2008. Archived from
553:. December 5, 2008. Archived from
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819:American people convicted of rape
779:1992 murders in the United States
568:Smith, Glenn (December 5, 2008).
151:5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
829:Executed African-American people
267:North Charleston, South Carolina
784:20th-century American criminals
446:Federal Bureau of Investigation
419:Federal Bureau of Investigation
308:to face trial. Gardner was the
1:
834:Executed people from Michigan
764:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
294:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
247:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
134:Execution by lethal injection
874:Torture in the United States
238:Joseph Martin Luther Gardner
89:Joseph Martin Luther Gardner
40:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
310:437th fugitive to be placed
245:years. He was added to the
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654:"Killer Gardner executed"
570:"Killer Gardner executed"
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334:Columbia, South Carolina
123:Columbia, South Carolina
799:American male criminals
257:, on October 19, 1994.
282:beating of Rodney King
746:on November 23, 2022.
603:The Los Angeles Times
557:on November 23, 2022.
694:on November 20, 2020
688:The Post and Courier
658:The Post and Courier
634:on November 29, 2020
525:. September 14, 1998
474:. September 14, 1998
70:Joseph M. L. Gardner
854:People from Detroit
722:. December 5, 2008.
664:on November 5, 2017
574:Post & Courier
517:"State v. Gardner"
468:"State v. Gardner"
275:Dorchester County
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102:Detroit, Michigan
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804:American rapists
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744:the original
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316:McLauchlin.
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302:Pennsylvania
298:Philadelphia
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255:Pennsylvania
251:Philadelphia
237:
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198:(2008-12-05)
188:May 25, 1994
114:(2008-12-05)
774:2008 deaths
769:1970 births
161:Convictions
80:Description
73:Joe Gardner
758:Categories
739:The Herald
550:Times-News
393:doc.sc.gov
372:References
169:Kidnapping
95:1970-01-15
839:Fugitives
320:Execution
288:Aftermath
719:Fox News
472:Casetext
340:See also
222:Executed
193:Executed
522:FindLaw
175:Penalty
46:Charges
261:Murder
205:Number
165:Murder
156:Status
148:Height
140:Gender
125:, U.S.
104:, U.S.
52:Murder
400:(PDF)
389:(PDF)
185:Added
179:Death
65:Alias
700:2020
670:2020
640:2020
610:2020
581:2020
531:2020
480:2020
454:2020
427:2020
143:Male
109:Died
85:Born
332:in
328:at
208:437
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
