South Carolina has seen its share of tragic love triangles, but few have ended as violently or as heartbreakingly as the case of 45-year-old Ronnie Todd Jr. This week, Todd learned he will never walk free again after a jury found him guilty of gunning down the two people closest to him: his former girlfriend and his best friend.
The trial, which unfolded over the course of a week, wrapped up with a verdict in under an hour. That’s right—less than sixty minutes of jury deliberation sealed Todd’s fate. Prosecutors painted a chilling picture: after his breakup with 30-year-old Emily Richitelli, Todd couldn’t handle the fact that she had moved on… and worse (in his mind), that she was now dating John Altman—his longtime friend and someone he once considered family.
It’s the kind of drama you’d expect in a soap opera, but here in South Carolina, it turned deadly. Prosecutors revealed that Todd had been texting friends in the days leading up to the murders, making threats that now read like a disturbing prelude to what was coming.
South Carolina Man Guns Down Beloved Friends
And then came July 21, 2022. In the early hours of the morning, Todd entered a Georgetown townhome where Emily and John were staying. It was there that he opened fire, killing them both. As one prosecutor, Scott Hixson, told the jury, “He said he’s going to clear the whole house… He tried as hard as he could.”
In a shocking text message, Todd wrote, “I’m killing some people when I get home. No question about that. I love her and it’s over.”
The most gut-wrenching part? Someone else was in the home that night, John Altman’s 9-year-old son. The little boy was in the bathroom when the chaos began, and it was his testimony that became one of the most powerful moments in court. The child recognized Todd’s voice immediately; after all, he had called him “Uncle Ron” for years.
According to the boy, it all happened terrifyingly fast. “I went to use the bathroom, then I heard somebody come in, and I heard a voice. I knew whose voice it was,” he told the court. “And they said, ‘You want to talk trash?’ And then I heard about eight gunshots. But before those gunshots, my father was screaming, ‘Ron, Ron, Ron, Ron.’”
When the shooting stopped, the child bolted out of the bathroom and straight to a neighbor’s house, banging on their door for help. The image haunts a young boy, losing both his father and someone he once trusted in the span of seconds.
He’ll Be Spending The Rest Of His Life In Prison
After hearing all the evidence, the jury convicted Todd of two counts of murder. Judge Michael G. Nettles handed down the maximum punishment: two life sentences, ensuring Todd will spend the rest of his days in prison.
It’s a grim ending to a twisted tale of jealousy, betrayal, and broken trust. And while justice was served in the eyes of the law, the tragedy leaves a South Carolina community reeling. Two lives were cut short, a child’s world was shattered, and a friendship that once felt like family became the backdrop for an unthinkable crime.
South Carolina may be known for its southern charm, but this case is a stark reminder that heartbreak and anger, when mixed with violence, can leave scars that last forever.
Kenna Raye 
