Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Hit-and-Run Homicide of Davis McClendon’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the focus is on a seemingly accidental hit-and-run case that led to the demise of Kenneth Davis McClendon in May 2023. As it turned out, the investigation revealed that it was a calculated attack carried out by a local businessman named William “Bud” Ackerman Jr., the estranged husband of the victim’s girlfriend, Meredith Haynie. Thanks to the evidence gathered at the crime scene, the detectives built a case against him and brought him to justice.
William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. Made Kenneth McClendon’s Death Seem Like an Accident
At the time of Kenneth Davis McClendon’s demise, William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. and his estranged wife, Meredith Haynie, were in the middle of their divorce proceedings, which were scheduled to be finalized within the next few weeks. Since she had been seeing Kenneth, William had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she had moved on. Thus, on the evening of May 6, 2023, he called and texted her several times while she was outside with the victim. His aggressive and obsessive behavior was also noted by Abigail Mohajer, one of her friends, at the Key West Bar that same evening when he allegedly asked her about Meredith’s whereabouts.
Later, Abigail claimed that she called Meredith and told her about the incident, advising her not to come to the bar. According to phone records, Kenneth had also called William three times before the accident and got into a heated argument. Around 1 am on May 7, 2023, William reportedly crashed his Ford F-250 pickup truck into Kenneth’s BMW, which was captured by the surveillance camera of a nearby residence. When the authorities found Kenneth, he was already deceased. Due to the oil trail and other evidence found at the collision site, the detectives suspected that foul play was involved.
The oil trail led the investigators straight to William’s parents’ home, which was situated just half a mile away from the crime scene. According to him, he had been with his three children the entire day. However, upon inspecting his Ford pickup truck in the driveway, they noticed that it was leaking oil. More suspicions were raised when they also saw a palm print on the hood and the vehicle’s front grille was damaged. William was soon charged with the murder of Kenneth and taken into custody. However, he pleaded not guilty and decided to take his chances at court.
William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. Was Brought to Justice For His Crimes
After his first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2024, William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. stood in trial for the second time in September 2024. In the opening statements, the defense described Kenneth Davis McClendon’s death as an accident. Meanwhile, the prosecution presented the jury with several pieces of incriminating evidence against the defendant, including the victim’s blood that was found on William’s khaki shorts. The killer’s former wife, Meredith Haynie, also testified against him during the trial. For their first witness, the defense brought an accident deconstructionist named David Torres to the stand to challenge the findings of the state’s expert regarding the accident that took Kenneth’s life. According to David, the Ford F-250 got into a collision with the BMW and the victim, resulting in the BMW being pushed back and the victim nearly 55 feet away from the point of collision.
Moreover, while the prosecution focused on the damaged truck of his victim to present signs of a premeditated attack, the defense argued that Kenneth was in a poorly lit area at the time of the collision. The defendant also took the stand and was cross-questioned by the prosecution. He also stated that he was regretful about the entire situation and was “very sorry.” After a two-week trial on October 5, 2024, the jury deliberated for less than half an hour and returned with a guilty verdict. William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. was convicted of murdering 46-year-old Kenneth Davis McClendon in the early hours of May 7, 2023. Soon after the conviction, the sentencing phase commenced.
William “Bud” Ackerman Jr. is Currently Behind Bars, Awaiting the Results of His Appeal
However, several members of the McClendon family took the stand and passed statements before sentencing. Kenneth’s mother, Carie McClendon, stated, “I don’t hate ‘Bud’ Ackerman. I thought for a while…it was a great chance it was an accident, a possibility anyway, but after the evidence that was presented….and after hearing ‘Bud’ testify and showed no remorse, I’m convinced the jury got it right.” Meanwhile, Kenneth’s son, Frederick, noticed the killer having “zero emotion.” He added, “Mr. Ackerman nor his family….have any amount of empathy, any amount of remorse for what has happened….it’s time for this spoiled, evil individual and this spoiled, evil family in Greenwood to finally gain some repercussions for their actions.”
William’s father also spoke a few words before the sentencing. Instead of offering an apology to the victim’s family, he talked about deer hunting trips and emphasized how hardworking his son was and how his colleagues thought him to be a nice and helpful individual. Later, the convict was finally sentenced to 45 years in prison for committing the murder of Kenneth Davis McClendon. However, he was given credit for the 543 days he had spent behind bars at the Greenwood County Detention Center after his arrest. Almost immediately, he and his defense attorney filed an appeal to get his conviction overturned. As of now, he is serving his sentence at Tyger River Correctional Institution in Enoree, South Carolina.
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