It was just after 1 a.m. on May 7, 2023, when the serene stillness of a secluded dead-end street in Greenwood, South Carolina, was abruptly shattered. Authorities were alerted to a road accident not far from the edge of the woods, where they would discover the lifeless body of 46-year-old Davis McClendon. Initially, it was the sight of personal belongings—a shirt and a shoe—scattered beside a crumpled BMW 5 Series that caught their attention.
- Davis McClendon found after hit-and-run incident
- Investigation focuses on suspicious vehicle damage
- Meredith Haynie's relationship with McClendon enters focus
- Bud Ackerman has a contentious past with Haynie
- Digital evidence links Ackerman to the crime
- Jury finds Ackerman guilty of murder
Patrick Durkin, a Greenwood County Sheriff’s Investigator, was among the first to arrive at the chaotic scene. As he began photographing the disturbing setup, he observed significant damage to McClendon’s vehicle. “The front driver’s side wheel was turned slightly,” Durkin noted. At that moment, McClendon’s distance from the BMW raised alarms; he was found approximately 50 feet away, suggesting he had likely exited his car when struck.
The inquiry into McClendon’s injuries initially led authorities to believe he had been hit by a vehicle. There were, however, no other vehicles present at the crash site. The absence of rain that night had left the area untouched, allowing Durkin to focus intently on the vehicle and surrounding evidence. He remarked, “This was torn back, like a tuna can in a sense,” indicating a more violent impact than a typical accident. It raised questions—was this truly an accident or something more sinister?
The investigation took a critical turn when two women, Megan McGovern and Meredith Haynie, arrived at the scene, shaken and distraught. Haynie, McClendon’s girlfriend, explained to authorities that he had left a club they were at together, calling her moments later from the road to report he was parked at the intersection of Avid Road and Sawgrass Place. But when he failed to return after putting her on hold, concern prompted her to enlist McGovern’s help to check on him.
Descriptions of McClendon depicted him as a person of kindness and warmth. Friends painted a portrait of the “ultimate people person” without a known enemy. “He loved BIG,” shared friend Zach Calhoun, while another friend, Johnny Coats, echoed, “He was everyone’s best friend.” Haynie further elaborated on his character, saying, “He was the most empathetic person I’ve ever met.”
In the months before his death, McClendon had navigated the complexities of love and loss, having gone through a divorce prior to dating Haynie. Their relationship blossomed unexpectedly following Haynie’s decision to separate from her husband of ten years, Bud Ackerman, a situation that would lead to a tragic confrontation.
As investigators pieced together the timeline of that night, they observed a concerning pattern in Ackerman’s behavior. Just hours before the accident, he had been sending numerous texts to Haynie, expressing confusion and frustration about her new relationship. Following her sightings of McClendon, Ackerman appeared to lose control, tracking their whereabouts through security cameras and then through his own vehicle.
Upon tracing the oil trail from the BMW, investigators ended up at Ackerman’s parents’ home, where they found his white Ford F-250 leaking oil from the underside and bearing signs of an impact. Detective Ronny Powell noted that Ackerman held a contentious relationship with Haynie, leading officers to suspect possible foul play. “We think there’s enough evidence at the scene to prove what occurred,” Powell stated.
Investigators later arrested Ackerman, culminating in a series of explosive courtroom proceedings. The prosecution claimed that he intentionally struck McClendon, fueled by jealousy and rage over the new relationship. Crucial evidence emerged from footage captured by doorbell cameras, showing Ackerman’s truck moments before and after the collision. Witnesses described hearing sounds consistent with a violent impact, followed by muffled voices—allegedly Ackerman’s expletives directed at McClendon as he lay incapacitated on the ground.
With the defense painting a different story, they argued that the collision was purely accidental. Defense attorney Jack Swerling maintained that Ackerman had no intention to harm, emphasizing that his client was merely seeking a resolution to his fractured relationship with Haynie, not violence. It was posited that Ackerman did not see McClendon until the last moment, and in a panic, swerved toward the BMW in an effort to avoid the collision altogether.
As the trial progressed, jurors were faced with conflicting narratives—one portraying Ackerman as a man driven to uncontrollable anger, and the other showcasing a tragic accident borne out of a moment’s misjudgment. After deliberating for less than half an hour, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the prosecution. “Guilty,” they announced, sealing Ackerman’s fate.
During sentencing, a devastating moment unfolded when McClendon’s son demanded accountability from Ackerman and his family, questioning their inaction on that fateful night. The judge ultimately sentenced Ackerman to 45 years in prison, a culmination of not just a criminal act but a moment fraught with emotional complexity and personal devastation.
As the dust settles, questions linger in the ether, particularly for Haynie as she reflects on her tragic loss and the life she and McClendon had envisioned. She hoped to carry forward his legacy of kindness and empathy as she navigated her new role as a single mother. McClendon’s story remains a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the profound consequences of unchecked emotions. The community now grapples with the ripple effects of the incident, as every involved party works through their grief and search for closure.
