In the winter of 2003 a land dispute in Abbeville, South Carolina, ended in deadly violence. Donald Ouzts, 63, a constable with the Abbeville County Magistrate’s Office known as Donnie, was shot in the back and killed on December 8, 2003 while conferring with another deputy on the front lawn of the Bixby residence. Sergeant Danny Wilson of the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office had gone to the home earlier to talk with Arthur and Rita Bixby about threats made to Department of Transportation workers over a planned highway widening and a small parcel being taken by eminent domain.

Dispatch lost contact with Sergeant Wilson after he arrived; a prolonged standoff followed in which hundreds of rounds were exchanged over about 14 hours. A male suspect later surrendered and a police robot found Sergeant Wilson’s body just inside the door with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Steven Bixby, Rita Bixby and Arthur Bixby were taken into custody; in later proceedings Steven was convicted of capital murder and Rita convicted of murder and conspiracy, while Arthur was found incompetent to stand trial.

Does anyone have additional information about the scene that day or about Donnie Ouzts’s service in Abbeville County?