William Mark Bedenbaugh, 56, was fatally shot just after midnight on July 7, 2023, on Samaria Highway in Leesville, South Carolina. Emergency crews found him on the ground near the roadway; life-saving measures failed and an autopsy determined a single gunshot wound to the chest was the cause of death.

Bedenbaugh was described as an outdoorsman who rode a motorcycle, enjoyed Lake Murray, and worked as a logger. He had been a business owner previously, belonged to Steadman Baptist Church, and is mourned by sons, grandchildren, siblings, and a former wife who remained his close friend.

According to a Lexington County Sheriff’s Department incident report, a woman at the scene with her juvenile son told a deputy that an individual had come over, made verbal threats, and moved toward her as if to grab her, at which point another person shot him. The report also says an unidentified person left the scene on foot. No arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly identified.

If anyone was in the 1400 block of Samaria Highway that night or has information about who left on foot, please come forward to help the investigation.