Betty Swank, Carlotta Hartness, and Tommy Taylor

Summary

Betty Swank

Victim: Betty Swank, 21

Murderers’ Ages: 22, 17, & 16

Death: October 17, 1977

Carlotta Hartness and Tommy Taylor

Victims: Carlotta Hartness, 14, & Tommy Taylor, 17

Murderers’ Ages: 22, 17, & 16

Death: October 29, 1977

Betty was mother to a 15-month-old son. Her husband worked at Fort Jackson. She was murdered by a group of young men at age 21.

17-year-old Tommy and 14-year-old Carlotta went out to do research for a school paper Tommy was writing about his county’s historic district. They were murdered by the same young men who had murdered Betty.

Sources

State v. Shaw

“I didn’t just lose Carlotta that day”

A look back at 10 notorious death penalty cases from the Midlands

SOUTH CAROLINA EXECUTES KILLER: AGE STIRS PROTEST

Finding Life on Death Row: Profiles of Six Inmates
By Katya Lezin