William Travis Madden

William Travis Madden, a 35-year-old White man from Hodges, South Carolina, was a devoted father and partner. Born in Greenwood, he worked at Ware Shoals Tool and Dye Works and had been with his significant other, Stephanie Tra’Dale Pace, for 18 years. He was described as a hardworking father to his son, Trey, and enjoyed spending his free time four-wheeling with him and drag racing at Ware Shoals Dragway.

In the early morning hours of Friday, June 28, 2024, an altercation occurred on Aklavik Court in Greenville. Around 1:30 a.m., a conflict between Madden and another man escalated, and Madden was shot. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a gunshot victim and responded to the scene in the Ashmore Springs neighborhood. Deputies arrived to find Madden sitting in a car in front of a home, suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

Emergency responders pronounced William Travis Madden dead at the scene. The Greenville County Coroner's Office confirmed his identity and noted his time of death as 1:30 a.m. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed following his death.

Investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office quickly identified a suspect in the shooting. They determined that Madden was shot during a conflict with 31-year-old Austin Lee Kellam. Later that day, deputies arrested Kellam and charged him with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators stated they were still working to determine if the two men had known each other prior to the fatal encounter.

Austin Lee Kellam was taken to the Greenville County Detention Center. He appeared before a judge for a bond hearing on the afternoon of his arrest and was denied bond. Funeral services for William Travis Madden were held on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Reedy Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church. As of June 2024, the case against Kellam was proceeding through the court system.