Quincy Jovan Allen

Serial Killer

Quincy Jovan Allen: The 2002 Carolinas Killing Spree

Quincy Jovan Allen is an American serial killer whose violent crime spree crossed South Carolina and North Carolina during the summer of 2002. Over a period of little more than a month, Allen murdered four people, wounded another man, committed multiple acts of arson, threatened other potential victims, and fled across several states before being captured in Texas. His crimes were carried out primarily with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun and were notable for their seemingly random nature and the lack of any meaningful connection between Allen and most of the people he attacked. Allen ultimately admitted responsibility for the four murders. He received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the North Carolina killings and was originally sentenced to death for the two South Carolina murders. After nearly two decades on death row, his South Carolina death sentences were overturned by a federal appeals court. In July 2024, he was resentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Background and the Beginning of the Violence

Quincy Jovan Allen was born on November 7, 1979, in Columbia, South Carolina. Before the murders, Allen had already spent time in federal prison for stealing a vehicle. According to statements Allen later gave investigators, an inmate he met while incarcerated told him that he might be able to arrange work for Allen as a Mafia hit man. Allen later told police that after his release he became tired of waiting for the supposed opportunity and decided to begin killing on his own. Allen obtained a shotgun and began preparing himself to use it against people. The South Carolina Supreme Court later described how Allen said he wanted experience with the weapon before committing murders. His first known attack therefore became what he himself described to investigators as practice.

The Shooting of James White

At approximately 3:00 a.m. on July 7, 2002, Allen entered Finlay Park in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. There he encountered 51-year-old James White, a homeless man who was resting on a swinging bench. Allen ordered White to stand and shot him in the shoulder. After White fell backward onto the bench, Allen ordered him to stand again and fired a second time. White survived the attack and received medical treatment. Allen later admitted that he had selected White because he had recently obtained the shotgun and wanted to learn how to use it. The shooting was an ominous precursor to the murders that followed only three days later. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Dale Evonne Hall Age: (45), Date of Death: 2002-07-10

'He will kill again; he likes it': SC serial killer sentenced to life ... - WIS