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Melvin White

Death by Force
Case Description
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In 1973, Melvin "Smokey" Harris, then 16 years old, was arrested in Chester County, South Carolina, in connection with a series of robberies. Following his arrest, Harris implicated two of his friends, Ray Charles Degraffenreid and James Robert McClurkin, in the 1973 murder of Claude Killian, a 74-year-old white man who was killed during an armed robbery at the Highlander Cleaning Center in Chester. Harris testified against Degraffenreid and McClurkin, leading to their convictions in 1977. As a ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (4)
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  • https://i.ibb.co/WHKHR7T/Chester-man-goes-on-shooting-spree.png
  • Chester Melvin White (1922-1972) - Memorials - Find a Grave
    •     ...View 2 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Melvin White

    Male

    Chester

    PA

    1974-07-20

    40

    Melvin

    White

    11/20/2025

    Forum Posts (1)
    Has anyone else been following the case of Ray Charles Degraffenreid and James Robert McClurkin? I w... ...Read More
    11/10/2024
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