In the quiet community of Johnston, South Carolina, a distressing event unfolded that left friends and family mourning the loss of Patricia Kneece Perry. A 49-year-old woman, Patricia was found deceased in her residence on Long Cane Road on Monday, December 26, 2022. Born in Aiken, South Carolina, she was an employee at Trane Industrial Solutions in Newberry and an active member of the Bethlehem United Methodist Church.
Her life was tragically cut short in what law enforcement would later determine to be a murder-suicide.
Concern for Patricia's welfare prompted a visit from law enforcement officers. Upon entering her home, they made a grim discovery. Patricia and a man, identified as 61-year-old Mark Anthony Bedenbaugh, were both found with fatal gunshot wounds. The initial investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths pointed towards a domestic violence incident that had escalated to a fatal conclusion.
As the Saluda County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division delved deeper into the case, the narrative of what transpired became clearer. Autopsies confirmed that both Patricia Perry and Mark Bedenbaugh died from gunshot wounds. The investigation concluded that Bedenbaugh shot and killed Perry before turning the gun on himself. With the perpetrator deceased, the investigation was closed, and no arrests were made. The community was left to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a beloved member, remembering Patricia for her involvement in her church and the life she lived.
