In the fall of 2014, the life of 41-year-old Angie Pegram Small was tragically cut short in a violent act that stunned the community of Chester, South Carolina. On the afternoon of Thursday, November 6, 2014, Small was fatally shot by her estranged husband, 44-year-old Donald Small, in the parking lot of her workplace, the Chester Water Department.
After shooting his wife, Donald Small then turned the gun on himself, ending his own life in a devastating murder-suicide.
The couple, who were from the nearby town of Lancaster, had been separated for several months prior to the incident. Friends and neighbors were shocked by the violent turn of events, with many describing Angie Small as a kind and welcoming person. The couple had two teenage children together.
Investigations into the tragedy revealed that while the couple had been estranged, there was no official history of domestic violence reported to the police. Law enforcement records indicated only routine calls to their residence over a 15-year period. However, it was discovered that Donald Small had a criminal record for assault and battery charges from 1991 and 1993, though these incidents did not involve family members. In the weeks leading up to the murder-suicide, the family had also experienced a house fire, which was ruled accidental. The incident left their home uninhabitable. On that fateful Thursday, Donald Small went to the Chester Metropolitan District and Chester Sewer District office to speak with his estranged wife. After she came outside to meet him in the parking lot, he shot her before taking his own life.
