In the quiet, early morning hours of June 27, 2022, in a trailer complex on Marlboro Avenue within the city limits of Barnwell, South Carolina, the life of 31-year-old Randall Cunningham was tragically cut short. Cunningham was discovered with a fatal gunshot wound sometime between midnight and 1 a.m. The Barnwell County Coroner later confirmed that a gunshot wound was the cause of his death.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with the assistance of the Barnwell Police Department, took the lead in the ensuing homicide investigation.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, details were limited, and authorities had not made any arrests. The community was on edge, as Cunningham's death was one of several recent shootings in the Barnwell area. However, law enforcement officials stated at the time that they believed the shootings were isolated incidents and not connected. The investigation into the violent death of Randall Cunningham, a man described as having a lively, humorous, and outgoing disposition, was launched with an appeal to the public for any information that might lead to a break in the case.
Weeks after Cunningham's death, an arrest in a separate murder case brought his name back into the news. On July 20, 2022, a 29-year-old Aiken woman, Mateka Destanique Williams, was arrested in connection with the May 29, 2022, murder of William Henry Dunbar in the nearby town of Williston. While her arrest was for a different crime, law enforcement officials took the opportunity to update the public on the status of Cunningham's case. At the time of Williams' arrest, SLED confirmed that the investigation into Randall Cunningham's murder remained open and was being actively pursued. As of that time, no suspects had been publicly identified or arrested in connection with his death.
