ST MATTHEWS, S.C. — An Anderson man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in front of her own children two years earlier.
Prosecutors with the First Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office said that, on July 24, 2020, 41-year-old Charles Smalls drove to the property of Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in St. Matthews and forced the victim, Breanna Fludd, to get out of his SUV.
There, in front of her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, Smalls shot Fludd four or more times. He then escaped the scene and left the children with their family. Those family members said the children then began asking if their mother was dead - at which point they contacted law enforcement.
Fludd was found in the cemetery with gunshot wounds to her hands, stomach, and back. Smalls was caught the next day. The victim's son later testified against him.
Prosecutor David Osborne described the crime as "unimaginable" and its impact on the children likely "horrific."
"The bravery this young man displayed by testifying and facing his mother's killer was nothing short of courageous."
Judge Kristi Curtis said during sentencing that she couldn't imagine a set of facts that warranted a life sentence more than those in this particular case.
