← Back to United States casesDavis McClendon Murdered by William Grey Acriman Jr., Greenwood, South Carolina, United States
Case Summary
On May 7, 2023, Davis McClendon was found dead near his damaged BMW on a secluded road in Greenwood, South Carolina. Prosecutors alleged that William Grey Acriman Jr., known as Bud, intentionally drove his Ford F-250 into McClendon after tracking McClendon and Acriman's estranged wife, Meredith Haney. The defense argued that the collision was accidental and that Acriman had been trying to avoid McClendon. Digital vehicle data, phone records, surveillance footage, oil trails, vehicle damage, and doorbell-camera audio were presented at trial. Acriman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Basic Information
Country: United States
State/Province: South Carolina, United States
City/Region: Greenwood
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Love triangle
Relationship Duration: Less than 6 months (McClendon and Haney relationship)
Affair / New-Partner Context
Recorded context: New relationship started
Reported initiator: Victim
Relationship timing: During marriage or ongoing partnership, before separation
Incident Date: May 7, 2023
Relationship Journey
Relationship Origins:
- Arranged marriage
- Friends circle
- Met at shop or shopping mall
Relationship Stages:
- Dating
- Separated
- Married Living Separately
- Police report filed
Analysis
Contributing Factors:
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Drugs / Alchohol Use
- Domestic Conflict
- Divorce / Separation
- Suspicion of infidelity
Red Flags:
- Excessive phone usage
- Secretive communication patterns
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Sudden change in routine or habits
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Manipulative behavior
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Alcohol Abuse
- High-Conflict Household
Motives:
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Desire for new relationship
- Eliminate romantic rival
Relationship Outcomes:
- Divorce filed
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before divorce
- Homicide during marriage
- Arrest made
Source Video
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People Link Graph
Davis McClendon Murdered by William Grey Acriman Jr., Greenwood, South Carolina, United States
Relationship Journey Graph
Origin
- Arranged marriage
- Friends circle
- Met at shop or shopping mall
How the relationship or connection began.
Status
- Love triangle
Less than 6 months (McClendon and Haney relationship)
Stages
- Dating
- Separated
- Married Living Separately
- Police report filed
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Warning Signals
- Excessive phone usage
- Secretive communication patterns
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Sudden change in routine or habits
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Manipulative behavior
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Alcohol Abuse
- High-Conflict Household
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Pressure Points
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Drugs / Alchohol Use
- Domestic Conflict
- Divorce / Separation
- Suspicion of infidelity
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Jealousy
- Desire for new relationship
- Eliminate romantic rival
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
Incident
2023-05-07
Outcome
- Divorce filed
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before divorce
- Homicide during marriage
- Arrest made
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
AI Intelligence Assessment
Relationship Pattern
Romantic Triangle
Pattern Analysis
The reported conflict developed within an estranged marriage during separation and divorce proceedings, when Meredith Haney began a new relationship with Davis McClendon. The prosecution characterized Acriman's repeated contact, tracking of the couple, and vehicle movements as jealousy-driven escalation targeting a romantic rival. The defense disputed intent and said the fatal collision was accidental.
Investigative Notes
Authorities initially responded to what appeared to be a traffic accident. Investigators then noted the distance between McClendon's body and BMW, unusual vehicle damage, oil on the road, tire marks, oily footprints, and an oil trail leading toward Acriman's parents' house. Acriman's Ford F-250 had oil leakage, front-end damage, and other marks. Investigators used 911 statements, phone records, security video, doorbell-camera footage, and vehicle infotainment data. Acriman was arrested at approximately 6:30 a.m. on May 7, 2023, and charged with murder. At trial in September 2024, prosecutors argued intentional impact and presented digital and reconstruction evidence. The defense argued accidental impact, limited visibility, and lack of intent. The jury returned a guilty verdict after less than half an hour of deliberation, and the court sentenced Acriman to 45 years in prison. The source says Acriman's parents were not charged because investigators could not prove they knew, when they picked him up, that he had committed murder.
Investigation Confusion
The incident was initially treated as a possible one-vehicle traffic accident or hit-and-run. The prosecution and defense presented conflicting interpretations of the same physical and digital evidence: prosecutors alleged intentional targeting, while the defense alleged an accidental collision during an attempted evasive maneuver. Doorbell-camera audio was disputed as too garbled to establish the alleged words. The source also reports uncertainty about Acriman's level of intoxication and the significance of his failure to call 911.
Case Reconstruction / Puzzle Pieces
Meredith Haney had separated from Bud Acriman after an allegedly high-conflict marriage and began dating Davis McClendon in late December 2022. On the night of May 6-7, 2023, records and surveillance reportedly showed Acriman contacting Haney repeatedly, visiting locations where he believed the couple might be, consuming alcohol at a club, and driving toward the area where McClendon later met him. McClendon left Haney to meet Acriman and was later found dead near his BMW. Investigators connected the scene to Acriman's pickup through oil, tire marks, vehicle damage, and vehicle-computer data. At trial, prosecutors argued the evidence showed deliberate targeting, while the defense argued that Acriman could not see McClendon in time and tried to avoid him. The jury accepted the prosecution's case and convicted Acriman of murder.
Risk Assessment
The source describes a high-risk relationship context involving separation, alleged alcohol-related unpredictability, degrading conduct, hidden cameras, repeated contact, alleged monitoring, jealousy, and a new partner entering before the divorce was finalized. The reported combination of relationship transition, perceived loss of control, repeated pursuit, and a confrontation preceded a fatal vehicle collision. These facts indicate serious escalation risk, but the source does not establish a clinical diagnosis or independently verify every allegation.
Key Takeaways
The case illustrates how separation, unresolved legal marriage, a new romantic partner, alleged monitoring, repeated unwanted contact, alcohol use, and prior degrading or controlling conduct can combine into a dangerous escalation pattern. Important investigative links came from physical transfer evidence, vehicle telemetry, phone records, surveillance video, and witness accounts. The source also highlights how an apparent traffic collision can become a homicide investigation when scene geometry and vehicle evidence do not fit an ordinary accident.
AI Case Q&A
What early signals mattered most?
Reported early signals included the alleged high-conflict household, drinking and unpredictable behavior, degrading language, hidden cameras, alleged monitoring, repeated calls and texts, accusations of cheating, and Acriman's reported efforts to locate Haney and McClendon on the night of the incident.
Which clues helped connect the case?
The distance between McClendon's body and his BMW, unusual BMW damage, an oil slick, tire tracks, oily footprints, the oil trail to Acriman's parents' house, damage to Acriman's pickup, phone records, security footage, doorbell-camera footage, and pickup infotainment data helped connect the case.
Which evidence types appeared strongest?
The source presents the physical scene, vehicle damage, oil transfer evidence, vehicle infotainment data, phone records, security footage, doorbell-camera video and audio, witness testimony, and statements from Haney and Acriman as important evidence types. The jury ultimately found the prosecution's evidence sufficient for conviction, although the defense disputed intent and the interpretation of some evidence.
Witness / Eyewitness Statements
Megan McGovern reportedly called 911 and first saw McClendon's body. Meredith Haney described repeated calls, alleged monitoring, prior household conflict, and her concern that Acriman might be volatile. Investigators testified about the scene, digital records, vehicle data, and reconstruction. Friends described McClendon as kind, empathetic, and widely liked. Acriman testified that the collision was accidental and that he panicked afterward. His father said he was disoriented and did not know what to do when Acriman arrived at the house.
How did follow-up reports change the understanding?
Follow-up investigation changed the understanding from a possible traffic accident to a murder case after investigators traced oil and tire evidence to Acriman's pickup and developed phone, surveillance, doorbell-camera, and vehicle-computer timelines. Trial testimony further clarified the competing intentional-impact and accidental-collision theories. The later conviction and 45-year sentence established the legal outcome reported by the source.
What remained unclear?
The source reports disputed issues concerning Acriman's intent, his level of intoxication, McClendon's precise position before impact, whether the doorbell audio identified Acriman's words, and whether the collision was deliberate or accidental. The source does not provide an independent clinical assessment of the relationship participants or a complete account of the divorce proceedings.