COLUMBIA, S.C. — The longest-serving death row inmate in South Carolina, 77-year-old Fred Singleton, has died of natural causes after more than four decades behind bars, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Inmate Spent 42 Years on Death Row

Officials confirmed Singleton’s death Monday, marking the end of one of the longest capital punishment sentences in state history. He had been on death row since September 1983, following his conviction for the rape and murder of a 73-year-old woman in Newberry County.

As reported by WYFF 4 News, Singleton was sentenced to death in 1983 and remained incarcerated for 42 years — the longest duration of any inmate awaiting execution in South Carolina.

Serving Sentence at Broad River Correctional Facility

Singleton was most recently housed at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, where he had been transferred in 2019. In 2021, he was moved into the facility’s secure housing unit, where he remained until his death.

Officials confirmed Singleton’s passing on Friday, stating that he died of natural causes. His age and declining health had drawn limited public attention in recent years as executions in South Carolina have been on hold due to ongoing legal challenges over the state’s death penalty methods.

Decades on Death Row Amid State Execution Delays

Singleton’s death highlights South Carolina’s ongoing difficulties in carrying out death sentences. The state has not executed an inmate since 2011 due to issues securing lethal injection drugs and legal disputes over alternative methods such as the electric chair and firing squad.

With Singleton’s passing, one of the longest unresolved capital cases in South Carolina history has officially closed.

Looking Ahead

The South Carolina Department of Corrections has not released further details about funeral arrangements or whether Singleton had any remaining family members. His death follows that of another long-term death row inmate who also died of natural causes in 2021, according to WYFF.

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