In the late summer of 2016, the community of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was unsettled by the sudden death of 51-year-old Donald Blair Sr. A male teacher at Goose Creek High School, Blair was found deceased on August 24, 2016, in the vicinity of the Cypress Gardens Boat Landing in Moncks Corner. His death came just days after he was thrust into the center of a local scandal.
Prior to his death, Donald Blair Sr. had been arrested and was facing serious allegations.
He was charged with criminal sexual conduct and sexual battery involving a 15-year-old female student. The alleged relationship was reported to have occurred at the high school during the latter part of 2014 and into 2015. Following his arrest, Blair, who taught mechatronics, was placed on administrative leave by the school district as they cooperated with the ongoing investigation.
The circumstances surrounding Blair's death pointed to a tragic end to a tumultuous period. Berkeley County Sheriff's deputies discovered his body while conducting a welfare check after he failed to appear for a scheduled meeting with the school district. The Berkeley County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Donald Blair Sr. died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the aftermath of his death, there was no indication of foul play, and consequently, no suspects were sought, nor arrests made in connection with his passing. The case was concluded as a suicide, leaving a somber note over the community and the school where he had been a teacher.
