Well-to-do jealous husband stunned as he learns his fate for killing his estranged wife's new boyfriend

A jealous hubby who fatally struck his estranged wife's caller fellow with a car in South Carolina past twelvemonth was sentenced to 45 years down bars for the killing.

William 'Bud' Ackerman Jr., 43, of Greenwood, South Carolina, was sentenced by a justice Saturday for the execution of Kenneth Davis McClendon, 46, aft the assemblage deliberated for lone 22 minutes, the Greenwood Index-Journal reported.

Ackerman mowed down McClendon with his Ford F-150 motortruck successful the early-morning hours of May 7, 2023. 

His soon-to-be ex-wife and their nanny recovered the victim's bloodied body, describing the chilling find successful tribunal testimony.

At the clip of the killing, Ackerman was weeks distant from finalizing his divorcement with woman Meredith Haynie, who had been dating McClendon, the Index-Journal reported. 

Ackerman looked crestfallen and his caput dropped as the assemblage work retired the blameworthy verdict. 

McClendon was recovered extracurricular of his conveyance astir 1:30am with 1 footwear connected and nary garment aft helium got into an altercation with Ackerman earlier helium was struck, according to Court TV. 

Police recovered Ackerman astatine his parents' location astir a fractional mile from the clang tract and his motortruck had a dent successful the hood and appeared to person a thenar people connected it, according to Court TV. 

McClendon's humor was besides recovered connected the limb of Ackerman's shorts.  

McClendon had called Ackerman 3 times earlier the incident, according to Court TV. 

Haynie testified connected the basal that she and her hubby dated for six years, followed by 10 years of matrimony and the commencement of their 3 children, who are present seven, nine, and 11. 

Photos connected Facebook amusement the well-dressed mates and their children smiling brightly successful household portraits. 

The mates separated successful May 2022. 

The parent said she met McClendon successful December of that twelvemonth and that her and Ackerman 'absolutely [did] not' abstracted implicit McClendon. 

Haynie said Ackerman, who worked successful a repair shop, recovered retired astir her narration successful April 2023. She confirmed the narration to her husband, who said that helium was 'very mad' via substance messages, she testified. 

Ackerman sent a substance connection to a person successful April 2023 stating: 'He's been f**king Meredith.' 

The person replied: 'That's quality to me, I don't support up with anyone's business.' 

Ackerman said that helium knew McClendon his 'whole life' and that helium was wounded by the relationship, according to grounds shown successful court.

During the nighttime of the incident, Ackerman repeatedly called Haynie, she said. 

Ackerman was huffy his wife, who was legally separated from him, that she wouldn't get backmost unneurotic with him.

Haynie and McClendon had gone connected a day and attended a Kentucky Derby enactment anterior to the killing, she told the court. 

Haynie had called her hubby portion astatine the enactment aft uncovering retired helium was looking for them and was 'acting crazy' astatine a bar. 

Shortly aft midnight, helium called Haynie aggregate times and she did not answer. 

She and McClendon, who was a selling counselor, yet went to the aforesaid barroom arsenic Ackerman, who had already left. 

At 12:38am, she picked up Ackerman's telephone call, during which helium said helium was driving astir trying to find them. Haynie told him she would telephone the police, but she did not aft McClendon asked her not too, she said. 

She called aggregate friends and household members, including his mother, who did not answer. 

Ackerman continued to telephone her, to the constituent that it was 'getting scary,' she said. 

McClendon yet near the bar, and soon thereafter helium was killed by Ackerman. 

Ackerman's nanny, Megan McGovern, recovered McClendon's body, saying helium had 'blood coming retired of his ears and his nose.' 

'His full look was covered successful blood,' she told the court. 

McGovern was with Haynie erstwhile they recovered his car and body. 

McClendon's household spoke earlier the sentencing, with his dad, James McClendon, saying: 'We privation to archer the different household that we person some mislaid a large amount, and six children mislaid their daddy, and I americium atrocious for them arsenic overmuch arsenic I was.' 

The victim's mother, Carie McClendon, recalled however Ackerman showed 'no remorse' portion testifying. 

'I'm convinced the assemblage got it right,' she said. 

McClendon's brother, James McClendon Jr., offered akin statements, saying: 'Mr. Ackerman has ne'er shown oregon expressed an ounce of remorse for his heinous acts. From the infinitesimal helium near the mangled assemblage of my brother, lying connected the broadside of the roadworthy to dice alone, to this day, we person ne'er heard a elemental atrocious oregon seen sympathy successful his eyes.'  

McClendon's sister, Elizabeth Mitchell, spoke astir the interaction her brother's decease had connected her and asked the tribunal to 'give america the justness that my brother's beauteous beingness deserves.' 

McClendon's teenage daughter, Blair, gave an affectional unfortunate interaction connection that overwhelmed her to the constituent wherever her parent had to decorativeness her statement.  

Ackerman's father, Dr. William 'Gray' Ackerman, spoke connected behalf of his son, reiterated that his truthful was a hard worker, but did not connection the victim's household an apology, according to Court TV. 

Ackerman volition beryllium transferred to Kirkland Correctional Institution successful Columbia, South Carolina, according to Court TV. He volition besides beryllium moved from a azygous compartment to wide colonisation portion helium awaits that transfer.