On a crisp Thanksgiving Day in 1985, the life of 46-year-old Valdon Osborn Keith, a dedicated male South Carolina State Constable, was tragically cut short in a violent confrontation in Greenville County. Keith, who also ran a local business, was a volunteer constable, a role he undertook with a commitment to his community's safety. The events of that fateful November 28th began to unfold with an armed robbery at a Family Mart convenience store on East North Street.
Two men, their identities initially unknown, brazenly held up the store, seizing an undetermined amount of cash before making their escape in a beige Chevrolet Chevette.
The getaway car was quickly spotted by law enforcement, sparking a high-speed chase. Responding to the call, Constable Keith joined the pursuit, riding in a Greenville County Sheriff's Office patrol car. As the officers attempted to block the suspects' vehicle on State Park Road near Worley Road, the perpetrators took desperate and deadly action. Pulling alongside the patrol car, one of the suspects opened fire with a 9mm handgun, unleashing a hail of bullets. Constable Keith was struck and fatally wounded, his life taken in a sudden act of violence that turned a day of thanks into one of mourning for his family and fellow officers.
In the days that followed, a breakthrough in the case came with the apprehension of one of the suspects. He was identified as a man who had recently been paroled from the South Carolina State Prison after serving time for a previous armed robbery. The wheels of justice began to turn, and he was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the death of Constable Keith. A judge handed down a sentence of life imprisonment, with an additional 25 years to be served.
His time in incarceration was not without incident. In 1994, he and another inmate managed to escape from prison, eluding authorities and remaining at large. His freedom, however, was short-lived. After his case was featured on the popular television show 'America's Most Wanted,' he was recognized and recaptured in Louisiana. He was returned to prison to continue serving his sentence. On August 7, 2005, he died of a heart attack behind bars. While initial reports indicated the involvement of two individuals in the robbery and murder, details regarding the second suspect remain publicly undisclosed.
