Andrew Lavern Smith

Andrew "Andy" Lavern Smith (1960 – December 18, 1998) was an American serial killer who committed four murders and one attempted murder along Interstate 85 in South Carolina between 1980 and 1983. He was sentenced to death for the final two murders and was executed in 1998, becoming the 500th person to be executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Early life Smith was born in 1960 in Anderson, South Carolina, to Ruth and Willie Smith. Growing up, he and his family attended Fairview African American (FAA) Methodist Episcopal Church. After graduating from Pendleton High School in 1978, he attended Tri-County Technical College and received a certificate in auto body repair.

At around 3:30 a.m. on July 28, 1981, a man named Henry Poore entered the Phillips 66 gas station along Interstate 85 in Anderson when he heard someone shouting. Behind the counter, he found the 22-year-old cashier, David Evan Craig of Sandy Springs, lying on the floor. Craig told Poore he had been shot, and law enforcement were promptly called. When they arrived, Craig was still conscious, but in shock and not able to give information about the shooter. He was rushed to AnMed Health Medical Center where he died a few hours later. Very little clues or suspects were located in the initial investigation.

On May 28, 1983, neighbors of 85-year-old Christy Johnson and his 80-year-old wife Corrie visited their home in Pendleton after they failed to answer a series of phone calls. When they entered, they discovered both of them dead. The couple had been stabbed to death; Christy had sustained 26 wounds, while Corrie had sustained 18. The weapon was a six-inch knife that the killer found in the kitchen. The couples' car was missing from their home, and it was later found two miles away along Hurricane Creek Road. Detectives had discovered a November 7, 1981, gun law violation charge for Smith and the weapon he owned (a 22. caliber revolver) was similar to the one used in the murder. When investigators tested the weapon, it was determined that the bullets found at the crime scene came from his gun. In 1984, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for murdering the Johnsons. Afterwards, prosecutors chose not to move forward with the other cases, saying they "wouldn't want to waste the state's money", but the cases were nonetheless closed based on the evidence that implicated Smith. The following year, Smith won a case in the Supreme Court of South Carolina that allowed him a second trial, but he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death again.

On December 18, 1998, Smith was executed at the Broad River Correctional Institution, with his final words being "Let's do it".