A man who committed the heinous acts of raping and murdering an elderly woman in her residence has passed away while serving his sentence in prison. Fred Singleton, 81, died of natural causes in the prison hospital after spending 42 years on death row for the brutal crimes he committed against Elizabeth Lominick, whom he strangled with a bedsheet.
Singleton, the longest-serving death row inmate in South Carolina, was initially deemed unfit for execution by the state Supreme Court due to his inability to comprehend the consequences of the death penalty. Despite this ruling, his death sentence remained intact in the hope that advancements in psychology could potentially improve his mental state for future execution, although he could not be compelled to undergo medication solely for this purpose.
In 1983, Singleton was sentenced to death for his actions at the age of 38 when he sexually assaulted and killed Ms. Lominick, a recent widow. The victim’s family discovered her body in Georgetown County, South Carolina, leading to Singleton’s arrest after her stolen jewelry was found in his possession with his fingerprints on them.
Singleton’s demise leaves 24 individuals on death row in South Carolina, a significant decrease from the 48 inmates in 2014. The state has executed six individuals since then, while others have had their convictions overturned or passed away naturally.
Currently, the longest-serving death row inmate in South Carolina is Jamie Wilson, who was involved in a tragic shooting incident at a Greenwood County elementary school in 1988, resulting in the deaths of two eight-year-old girls and injuries to multiple others. Wilson, like Singleton, faces legal uncertainties due to mental health issues, with no recent ruling on his competency despite undergoing evaluations.
This news comes amidst ongoing developments in the state’s correctional system and raises questions about the legal complexities surrounding inmates with mental health challenges on death row.