In the quiet city of Greenville, South Carolina, 75-year-old Ruby Flamm, a Black/African American female, was tragically found deceased in her Colonial Avenue home on November 19, 2016. An investigation by the Greenville County Coroner's Office soon revealed a grim reality; she had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.
This violent act cut short the life of a woman who was a cherished mother, grandmother, and friend, leaving a community in shock and a family desperate for answers.
The investigation into Ruby Flamm's murder unfolded over several months, culminating in the arrest of 52-year-old Malette Denise Kimbrough in May 2017. Kimbrough was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The arrest brought a sense of cautious relief to Flamm's grieving family, who had been publicly pleading for justice. It was a step toward understanding why their beloved matriarch had been so violently taken from them. Kimbrough, who was reportedly a friend of the family, maintained her innocence, expressing her love for Flamm.
The subsequent legal proceedings painted a chilling picture of Ruby Flamm's final moments. During the trial, eyewitness testimony placed Malette Kimbrough at the scene of the crime, stating that she fled immediately after the shooting. The prosecution put forth the devastating claim that Kimbrough had shot Flamm while she was asleep in her own bed. In June 2019, a jury found Malette Denise Kimbrough guilty of murder. She was sentenced to 37 years in prison, with an additional five years for the weapon charge to be served concurrently. For Ruby Flamm's family, the verdict, while not erasing their pain, represented a measure of justice and a somber conclusion to a nearly three-year nightmare.
