Bio

Sammy David Roberts was born in 1958. He grew up in South Carolina. As a young man, Sammy lived in a time when economic difficulties affected many people. It is possible that he faced challenges typical for young adults in that era, but specific events remain unknown.

In the late 1970s, Sammy became involved with others who participated in criminal activities. His choices eventually led to serious consequences later in his life.

Murder Story

On June 19, 1980, Sammy David Roberts was involved in a series of crimes that led to the deaths of three service station attendants: Bill Spain, Kenneth Krause, and Louis Cakley. The victims were first robbed and then taken to wooded areas in Berkeley County, South Carolina.

Once in these remote locations, the attendants were shot. Kenneth Krause was stabbed multiple times by Roberts to ensure he was dead. Later, as Louis Cakley attempted to escape, Roberts shot him in the back four times.

The police discovered the bodies of the three victims three days after the murders. In connection with these murders, Roberts, along with Wesley Copeland and Danny Ray Coker, was arrested later that same year.

Danny Ray Coker agreed to testify against Roberts and Copeland in exchange for immunity from prosecution. He claimed that Copeland shot Bill Spain and Kenneth Krause, while Roberts was responsible for the stabbing of Krause and the shooting of Cakley.

The robbery attempts resulted in a total of about $1,500. In 1986, Wesley Copeland died of natural causes while on death row.

On September 25, 1998, almost 18 years after the murders, Sammy David Roberts was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina.