On a quiet street in the small town of Pacolet, South Carolina, Etta Louise Osteen, a 73-year-old woman, lived in her home with her brother-in-law, 79-year-old Clyde Lloyd Camby. Their peaceful life was shattered on April 3, 1995, by a brutal act of violence committed by a member of their own family. The crime was not discovered for three days, leaving the community to wonder what had happened inside the house.
When police finally entered, they found a grim scene that would lead to a long and complex legal saga.
The person responsible was Etta’s great-nephew, 19-year-old Jeffrey Brian Motts. Driven by a crack cocaine addiction, Motts broke into his great-aunt's home with the intention of robbing her and Mr. Camby to get money for drugs. He cut the telephone cord to prevent any calls for help and then subdued the two elderly residents. He tied Mr. Camby up before shooting him at close range in the cheek. Mr. Camby was later found with his pockets turned inside out.
Etta was also tied up, but in a final act of courage, she fought for her life and tried to escape. Despite her legs being bound, she made a desperate attempt to flee her home and her attacker. Motts, however, was merciless. He shot his great-aunt in the back, ending her life. After the murders, he stole the victims' car and fled. The same day the bodies were discovered, Motts was arrested in connection with an unrelated burglary, an arrest that would soon connect him to the double homicide.
The investigation quickly led authorities to charge Jeffrey Motts with two counts of murder and armed robbery. In March 1997, prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty. Before his murder trial began, Motts was convicted on separate charges of forgery and resisting arrest, receiving a 16-year prison sentence. In October 1997, a Spartanburg County jury found him guilty of the murders of Etta Osteen and Clyde Camby. However, the jury ultimately sentenced him to life in prison for each murder.
For years, Motts served his sentence at the Perry Correctional Institution. But the violence was not over. On December 8, 2005, Motts strangled his cellmate, Charles "Chuck" Martin, after an argument. He then dragged the body into a common area for other inmates to see. For this murder, Motts was again tried, and this time, he was sentenced to death in 2008. In a turn of events, Motts decided to waive all of his appeals, stating that he was guilty, deserved to die, and was ready to accept his punishment.
On May 6, 2011, the day after his 36th birthday, Jeffrey Brian Motts was executed by lethal injection at the Broad River Correctional Institution. In his final statement, read by his lawyer, he wished his mother and grandmother a happy Mother's Day and spoke of finding peace. He also issued a warning, saying, "I want to warn kids of the dangers of drugs. I was the child everyone wanted their children around until I got on drugs. Drugs will destroy your life." He also apologized to the families of his victims. His execution marked the end of a tragic story that began with the betrayal and murder of his own family, leaving a permanent scar on the community of Pacolet.
