BROCKMAN RECEIVES LIFE PRISON SENTENCE FOR MURDER CONVICTION

A Spartanburg County man received a life prison sentence today after he admitted to murdering an acquaintance to keep him from talking to police about a homicide that he may have witnessed.

Karlton K. Brockman, 20, pleaded guilty to the March 23, 2005 murder of Alex Devon Buckman, 17, at a Oxford Street home. Investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office found the remains of the victim in an Abbeville County landfill nearly nine months later.

Buckman’s family reported him missing on March 24, 2005. Brockman robbed an East Main Street movie theater on July 21, 2005 and he was arrested in September on the hold-up charge. While he was detained at the Spartanburg County Detention Center, he wrote two letters to his girlfriend and mailed them to incorrect addresses. The recipient turned the letters over to authorities. The first letter asked the girlfriend to arrange another hold-up with hopes of making law enforcement think they arrested the wrong person. The second letter referenced Buckman’s murder.

The investigation revealed that Brockman stabbed Buckman to death and dismembered the body in a bathtub at the Oxford Street home where the murdered occurred. The remains were taken to the Abbeville County landfill and buried.

After extensive questioning, Brockman took deputies to the landfill and showed them where to find the remains. Deputies also learned that Brockman and Buckman were friends or acquaintances prior to the murder.

In the weeks following Buckman’s disappearance, Brockman helped the family distribute a missing person flier and he wore t-shirt with Buckman’s photo on it.

Brockman was one of three people charged in the homicide. Charges are still pending on Ralph Flemming, 27, of Inman, and Louis T. Patterson, 27, of Chesnee.

Principal Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette said DNA and forensic evidence pegged Brockman as the person who committed the murder.

“The evidence clearly paints Brockman as the principal but we believe he was assisted by two seasoned criminals,” Barnette said.

Barnette teamed with Assistant Solicitor Susan Reese to prosecute the case. Brockman will serve every of his prison sentence. He is not eligible for parole.