In the early morning hours of March 22, 2015, the body of 34-year-old Randall Ronald Brown was discovered lying in the 5000 block of Brickyard Road in Columbia, South Carolina. An autopsy would later confirm that Brown, a Black male, had died from a gunshot wound to his upper body. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene around 3:20 a.m., they found Brown in the roadway and noted that his vehicle was missing.
Brown was a beloved teacher at Benedict College's child development center and a graduate of the college, remembered fondly by his fraternity brothers and the children he taught.
The investigation into Brown's death quickly led law enforcement to a suspect. Investigators identified Donald Harper Jr., 24 years old at the time, as a person of interest. The search for Harper and Brown's missing Jeep came to an end in Daytona Beach, Florida, where Harper had reportedly driven the victim's vehicle to for spring break. After being spotted by a Daytona Beach police officer, Harper led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash on Interstate 95. He attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended in a nearby swampy area.
Following his capture, Harper confessed to shooting and killing Brown. He claimed that he acted in self-defense, alleging that Brown had pulled a gun on him. However, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott publicly questioned this account, calling the confession 'self-serving' and stating that the evidence did not support Harper's claim. Lott also revealed that Harper had been released from prison just a few months before the killing. Another man was with Harper in Florida, but authorities stated that he did not face any charges in connection with Brown's murder.
