Dale Evonne Pressley Hall, a 45-year-old Black nurse from Columbia, South Carolina, was murdered on July 10, 2002. After the shooting, Allen reportedly drove to a nearby truck stop, purchased a can of gasoline, returned to Hall’s body, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire.

Hall’s killing was one of several violent crimes attributed to Allen during a summer crime spree in 2002. He was arrested on August 14, 2002, in Mitchell County, Texas, found sleeping in an abandoned car, and later charged with multiple counts of murder, including Hall’s. The case resulted in a conviction; Allen received a death sentence in South Carolina that was commuted to life in prison in 2024.

Anyone with memories of Hall, the I-77 stop area in Columbia, or who may have information about that day is encouraged to come forward.