Opening arguments expected Wednesday in Horry County murder-for-hire case
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday in the trial of a woman accused in a 2018 murder-for-hire plot in Horry County, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said.
Jury selection in the case of Samantha Rabon began on Tuesday She faces two counts of murder, criminal conspiracy, solicitation to commit a felony and accessory before the fact to a felony.
Robert and Robbie Ford, both of whom lived in the Conway area, were killed in August 2018. A co-defendant, Randy Grainger, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2023.
Police officers found the two men dead in the front yard after they were called to a home off Highway 19 to do a welfare check. Grainger was one of three people arrested two years later.
During closing arguments in Grainger’s trial, prosecutors said Grainger’s DNA was found on a skull cap and that Grainger allegedly was promised $20,000 if he killed the Fords.
According to prosecutors, Rabon, the daughter of Robert Marion Ford, Jr. and half-sister of Robbie Stetson Ford, asked Grainger to kill them both so she could inherit money.
Another woman, Theresa Martin, was also charged in the case and previously pleaded guilty as an accessory. Prosecutors said she introduced Rabon to Grainger.
News13 will have a reporter in the courtroom for Wednesday’s proceedings.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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