Bio

John Plath was born in 1955 in York, Pennsylvania. During his young adult years, Plath would form a close relationship with his cousin, John Arnold. They spent time together and were known to share interests, which would eventually lead them into trouble as adults. 

In the early morning hours of April 12, 1978, Plath and Arnold, along with their respective girlfriends, went looking for wild mushrooms. While driving around, they encountered a woman named Betty Gardner who was hitchhiking on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. They picked her up, which would set off a tragic series of events.

Plath and his cousin would later be involved in criminal actions that led to serious legal consequences. They were arrested and faced significant legal battles throughout the years. Despite the severity of their situation, both men maintained their innocence during investigations and trials that followed.

John Plath's life ended in controversy when he was executed by lethal injection on July 10, 1998, in South Carolina, after being convicted for his involvement in a horrific crime.

Murder Story

On April 12, 1978, John Plath and his cousin John Arnold picked up Betty Gardner, a 33-year-old woman who was hitchhiking on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. With them were an adult woman and a 12-year-old girl. They took Gardner to a secluded area near a garbage dump.

Once at the location, they subjected her to severe violence. Plath and Arnold kicked Gardner and forced her to undress. They also forced her to perform sexual acts. Plath used a leather belt to beat her during these actions. Later, they attempted to strangle her with a piece of garden hose. When that method did not work as intended, Plath stomped on her neck multiple times and then stabbed her ten times.

Arnold, after dragging Gardner by the neck into the woods, claimed she still appeared alive. Plath then ordered the girl to cut Gardner's throat with a broken bottle. They ultimately strangled her with the hose. To mislead the investigation, Arnold carved "KKK" into Gardner's body. Her remains were found weeks later, leading to their arrest and trial.

Plath and Arnold were convicted of kidnapping, rape, and murder. After initially having their convictions overturned due to prosecution errors, they were retried and sentenced to death. Plath maintained that he was simply an accessory to the crime and did not directly kill Gardner. Despite numerous appeals, his death sentence was upheld. Plath was executed by lethal injection on July 10, 1998, in South Carolina.