In the spring of 2016, the life of 26-year-old Tyesha Rena Williams, a mother of three from Orangeburg, South Carolina, was tragically cut short. Williams was reported missing on April 7, 2016, creating a wave of concern among her family and friends. The search for her came to a grim conclusion when her body was discovered in an abandoned home on Whittaker Street in Orangeburg.
An autopsy would later confirm that she had died from a gunshot wound.
Investigators quickly zeroed in on a person of interest, 33-year-old Robert Lee Randolph Jr., who was identified as Williams' boyfriend. Upon being located and questioned by the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, Randolph provided information that led them directly to Williams' remains. The investigation revealed a harrowing narrative of the events that transpired. It was determined that an argument between the couple while they were in Randolph's car on Clarendon Street escalated to a fatal point. During the dispute, Randolph shot Williams. Afterward, he moved her body to the abandoned house where she was later found.
Following the discovery and his confession, Robert Lee Randolph Jr. was arrested and faced serious charges, including murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. As the legal process unfolded, Randolph was also hit with drug charges after a search of his home uncovered a significant quantity of marijuana.
In October 2017, the case against Robert Lee Randolph Jr. went to trial. He was initially charged with murder for the death of Tyesha Williams. However, after six hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of involuntary manslaughter. The judge sentenced Randolph to the maximum allowable term of five years in prison for this conviction. He was given credit for the time he had already served in jail prior to the trial. His attorneys had argued that the shooting was an accident.
