US News
Prosecutors used pickup truck digital data to secure murder conviction in South Carolina hit-and-run
Telemetry and location data extracted from a Ford F-250's infotainment system helped convict Bud Ackerman in the 2023 death of Davis McClendon.
The short version
- Bud Ackerman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison for the May 2023 hit-and-run death of Davis McClendon in Greenwood, South Carolina.
- Investigators established Ackerman's movements and vehicle dynamics using thousands of time-stamped events from his truck's infotainment system, including Wi-Fi connections, gear shifts, speed, and braking.
- Ackerman's defense argued the fatal crash was an accidental collision in the dark while attempting to avoid McClendon, but jurors rejected the claim.
Key facts
- Authorities in Greenwood, South Carolina, discovered 46-year-old Davis McClendon fatally injured on May 7, 2023, near his damaged BMW sedan.[CBS News]
- An oil trail from the collision scene led investigators directly to the home where Ackerman was staying, where his damaged truck was found leaking oil.[CBS News]
- Data extracted from Ackerman's Ford F-250 recorded over 3,000 time-stamped events over a 24-hour period, revealing his travel route via automated Wi-Fi handshakes alongside speed, door openings, and braking metrics.[CBS News]
- Defense attorney Jack Swerling contended the strike was accidental, stating Ackerman could not see McClendon in the dark and aimed for the unoccupied car to avoid him.[CBS News]
- A jury convicted Ackerman of murder following a seven-day trial, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence.[CBS News]