Ron Finklea was sentenced to death by the State of South Carolina for the murder of Walter Sykes
According to court documents Ron Finklea was attempting to break into a ATM when he was stopped by security guard Walter Sykes. Finklea would shoot Sykes before setting him on fire
Ron Finklea would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Ron Finklea Photos
Ron Finklea FAQ
Where Is Ron Finklea Now
Ron Finklea is incarcerated at Broad River
Ron Finklea Case
On August 1, 2003, Angel Peters, a security guard at Selectron, was on duty when Finklea came to the plant around 2:00 AM.1 He was wearing a jacket with a stripe across it. Peters opened the doors and Finklea explained that he needed to use the ATM machine. She told him that it was not working, but let Finklea inside. After talking with Peters, Finklea left but then came back to the building. Finklea asked Peters questions about whether her company was hiring and at one point he followed her into the security room to get a phone number and flier. Finklea asked questions about security, such as how often Peters watches the cameras and who else was working security at night. When another security guard arrived, Finklea departed.
The following day, in the early morning hours of August 2, 2003, a man (Man # 1) wearing a jacket with a stripe across it came to the door of the Selectron plant. The State argued at trial and the evidence suggests that Finklea was Man # 1. Walter Sykes was the security guard on duty and, apparently thinking Man # 1 wanted to use the ATM, opened the door. The events that followed were captured on the plant’s video system. As Man # 1 approached the ATM, Sykes entered the security office. Man # 1 then followed Sykes into the office and moments later emerged and opened the front door to allow a second man (Man # 2) to enter. Man # 2 carried a gasoline can, which he handed to Man # 1. Man # 1 entered the office again, then exited and approached the ATM and doused it with gasoline. Moments later, Sykes, bleeding from the neck and engulfed in flames, ran from the building. Sykes died on the front lawn from burns and gunshot wounds to the face and neck. From the video it is apparent that Man # 1 is both the person who shot Sykes and the person who set him on fire.
Finklea was arrested and, days later, attempted to hang himself in his cell. Though he survived the attempt, Finklea suffered a brain injury resulting in amnesia and claims that he cannot recall the events that occurred the day of the murder. Physicians who examined Finklea found evidence of brain damage and determined that he was likely not feigning memory loss.
Finklea was tried and found guilty of the murder of Sykes with the following aggravating circumstances: (1) the murder was committed while in the commission of a burglary while armed with a deadly weapon; (2) the murder was committed while in the commission of a robbery while armed with a deadly weapon; and (3) the murder was committed while in the commission of physical torture. See S.C.Code Ann. §§ 16-3-10; 16-3-20(C)(a)(1)(c), (d), and (h) (2003). The jury recommended a sentence of death which the trial court imposed. Finklea was also found guilty of first-degree arson in violation of S.C.Code Ann. § 16-11-110(A); attempted safecracking in violation of S.C.Code Ann. § 16-11-390; possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime in violation of S.C.Code Ann. § 16-23-490; and criminal conspiracy in violation of S.C.Code Ann. § 16-17-410. Finklea now raises two issues which he argues entitle him to a new capital sentencing proceeding.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/sc-supreme-court/1534547.html
