At approximately 2:00 am on August 3, 1994, 38-year-old David Speigel, a clerk at the Buckingham Pantry store in Bluffton, was found shot to death behind the counter.
The store was equipped with a security monitor behind the counter, which, unfortunately, was never activated, so the incident was not captured on video.
Investigation revealed that Speigel had been cashing personal checks at the store for local illegal drug users for some time. Those subjects were identified, but denied knowledge of Speigel’s murder.
Probative physical evidence was difficult to identify, as the 24-hour store had a high volume of customers in and out of the store.
Robbery appeared to be a likely motive for the crime, but nothing was believed taken. Other possible motives were explored during the investigation, such as street gang initiation and personal vendetta, but still no motive has been established.
