Ronald Raymond Woomer, known by the nickname “Rusty,” was born in 1954 in Huntington, West Virginia. His childhood was turbulent and marked by poverty and abuse. His father, described as an alcoholic, was often unemployed and showed little interest in caring for his wife and four children. Reports from court proceedings later revealed that Ronald and his siblings endured frequent physical abuse, including beatings with a belt. Discipline in the household was harsh, and the children were often confined to their rooms as punishment.

The unstable environment shaped much of Woomer’s early development. By adulthood, he had grown disillusioned and restless, and he eventually formed an association with Eugene Skaar, a man 16 years older who would later join him in a violent spree of crime across South Carolina in 1979.

In February 1979, Woomer and 40-year-old Eugene Skaar left West Virginia for South Carolina with the intent of committing robbery and murder. Their spree, which unfolded in a single day on February 22, 1979, left four dead and two others seriously injured.

The first victim was John Turner, a 67-year-old coin collector living in Cottageville, Colleton County. On the evening of February 22, Woomer and Skaar forced their way into Turner’s home, stole a valuable coin collection and some clothing, and then shot Turner dead with a pistol. Investigators later discovered that the robbery had been arranged by two men from West Virginia, Fred Whitehead and John Fisher, who had directed Woomer and Skaar to target Turner. Both men were later convicted for their roles, with Fisher sentenced to five years and Whitehead to 25 years.

Just two hours after killing Turner, the pair traveled to Georgetown County, where they encountered 27-year-old Arnie Lee Richardson working outside his home. They held Richardson, his four-year-old daughter Diane, and his sister-in-law Earldean Wright, who was mentally handicapped, at gunpoint. After robbing them, Woomer and Skaar opened fire with a shotgun. Richardson and Wright were killed, while Diane survived a head wound. The injured child managed to escape and alert neighbors, providing the first leads in the case.

Later that night, Woomer and Skaar escalated their violence at a Pawleys Island convenience store. They abducted two female clerks, Della Louise Sellers, 34, and Wanda Summers, 24, forcing them into a car. After driving to a remote part of Horry County, both women were raped. Then, the killers shot them with a shotgun. Summers miraculously survived, despite catastrophic injuries to her face that left her permanently disfigured. Sellers, however, died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Following the spree, authorities quickly identified Woomer and Skaar as suspects. The next day, police surrounded a Myrtle Beach motel where the two men were hiding. Woomer surrendered without resistance, but Skaar shot himself to avoid capture.

Woomer faced multiple charges, including murder, kidnapping, rape, and assault. His first trial began in July 1979, where he was convicted of killing Della Sellers and sentenced to death on July 20, 1979. Judge David Harwell cited the “unimaginable cruelty” of Woomer’s crimes in imposing the sentence.

He was later convicted of Turner’s murder and also sentenced to death, but that conviction was overturned on appeal. For the killings of Richardson and Wright, Woomer accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to two life terms.

In 1981, after a re-sentencing trial for Sellers’ murder, Woomer was once again condemned to death. His appeals stretched through the 1980s, reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld the death sentence.

After years of legal battles, Woomer’s execution was scheduled for June 16, 1989, but the U.S. Supreme Court issued a last-minute stay just 13 hours before the scheduled time. A new date was later set for April 27, 1990.

On that morning, at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, Woomer was executed by the electric chair at age 35. He was the first prisoner executed at the new facility.

Before his death, Woomer expressed remorse and asked forgiveness, declaring his faith in Christianity. His final words were:

“I’m sorry. I claim Jesus Christ as my Savior. I only wish everyone could feel the love I feel for Him.”

He was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m., seven minutes after the chair was activated.