Truck computer contains clues to motive in murder, prosecutors say
The state argues an "infotainment system" is a window into the brain of a South Carolina man who mowed down his estranged wife's boyfriend.
On May 7, 2023, in Greenwood, South Carolina, authorities discovered a badly damaged BMW sedan at a deserted intersection, with the fatal victim, 46-year-old Davis McClendon, lying nearby. McClendon's girlfriend, Meredith Haynie, was present at the scene, but claimed she hadn't witnessed the accident. Prosecutors argued that the touchscreen computer in Bud Ackerman's Ford F-250 pickup truck provided crucial evidence of intent, suggesting Ackerman had targeted McClendon maliciously.
Haynie stated she had been on a date with McClendon before he disappeared out of a local club at 12:51 AM. Text messages found on Haynie's phone revealed a pattern of persistent communication between Ackerman and McClendon that night. When investigators arrived at the crash site, they found an oil trail leading directly to Ackerman's house, and his truck was leaking oil in the driveway.
Time-stamped video showed Ackerman at locations where Haynie and McClendon had spent their evening, and near the crash site. The truck's onboard computer stored detailed information about Ackerman's operations, including communications, route, speed, and braking data. Authorities determined Ackerman was driving approximately 25 miles per hour on a dark, dead-end road when the collision occurred, with a wheel slip at precisely 1:11:33 AM, causing Ackerman to stop and exit his vehicle.
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