Conway, South Carolina – A 39-year-old woman has been sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison for orchestrating the deaths of two family members in a scheme to inherit money. Samantha Rabon received two life sentences along with an additional 30 years for her role in the murder-for-hire plot targeting her father, 59-year-old Robert Ford, and her half-brother, 25-year-old Robbie Ford. Convicted on two counts each of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder, Rabon’s sentencing was announced by South Carolina Solicitor for the 15th District, Jimmy Richardson, on Wednesday.
The incident unfolded in August 2018 when Horry County Police responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle and discovered a burnt Ford Escape in a field off Cookes Circle. Their investigation led them to the home of the vehicle’s registered owner, where they found Robert Ford and Robbie Ford dead in the yard from gunshot wounds. It was determined that the victims had been killed a day prior.
After an extensive two-year investigation, police utilized genetic genealogy to identify a suspect, leading them to Randy Grainger and Teresa Martin, who provided crucial information in the case. Martin revealed that Rabon had offered money to Grainger to carry out the heinous crime, aiming to inherit her father’s wealth.
During the trial, witnesses Grainger and Martin testified against Rabon, stating that she had offered Grainger a significant sum to execute the murders. Following the deaths, Rabon inherited over $1 million, although her defense argued that her mother was the mastermind behind the plot.
Martin, who initially faced criminal conspiracy charges, pled guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and would be sentenced after testifying in Rabon’s trial. Grainger, on the other hand, was convicted of multiple offenses, including murder and arson, resulting in a sentence of two consecutive life terms.
The severity of the crimes shocked senior assistant solicitor Mary-Ellen Walter, who described them as the most heinous murders she had encountered in her 30-year career. The motive of greed driving someone to eliminate their own family members was deemed incomprehensible by legal authorities.