Where is William Ackerman Jr. now? Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on CBS

The murder of Kenneth Davis McClendon by his girlfriend's ex-husband, William Ackerman Jr. will be the subject of this weekend's 48 Hours episode on CBS. William Ackerman Jr., 42, the ex-husband of Meredith Haynie, was charged with the homicide of Kenneth Davis McClendon.

It took 12 juries, after deliberating for 26 minutes, to deliver a verdict, and in October 2024, Ackerman Jr. was found guilty and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

In 2024, William Ackerman Jr. was incarcerated at the Greenwood County Detention Center and was waiting to be transferred to Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, as per Court TV (published on October 7, 2024).

The 48 Hours episode focusing on this case is titled The Hit-and-Run Homicide of Davis McClendon. It will air on CBS on March 1, 2025, at 10 pm ET.

---

William Ackerman Jr. intentionally hit Kenneth Davis McClendon

According to Index Journal, Kenneth Davis McClendon began dating Meredith Haynie six months after she cut ties with her now ex-husband William Ackerman Jr. Kenneth died a few weeks before his girlfriend’s divorce could be finalized.

Ackerman Jr. struggled to see Meredith Haynie moving on so quickly, which led to obsessive and aggressive behavior. He continuously stalked the couple wherever they went.

Abigail Mohajer, Meredith’s friend, had called and warned her not to go to the Key West Bar, as William allegedly had been there inquiring about Meredith’s whereabouts. William Ackerman Jr. also reportedly called Kenneth three times before his death. He claimed he wanted to meet Kenneth to sort out their underlying issues.

On May 7, 2023, after a 911 call about a crash report, Kenneth was discovered lying outside his car with major injuries around 1.30 am. He was immediately rushed to the Self-Regional Medical Center. He died at 2:10 am due to his critical condition. William intentionally crashed his Ford F-250 truck into Kenneth’s BMW, near the intersection between Avid Road and Sawgrass Place in Greenwood.

During the investigation, authorities learned that Kenneth and William were in a heated argument before he died. They found multiple pieces of evidence leading right to William Ackerman Jr. At the crime scene, responders found Kenneth near a pool of oil, leading authorities right to William’s parents' house, half a mile from the crime scene.

Authorities discovered an oil leak from William’s Ford pickup truck. They also found a handprint on the bonnet and the damaged grills. Evidence led straight to Ackerman Jr., who was then charged and taken into custody for the murder of Kenneth McClendon, but he pleaded not guilty.

---

It took two trials to bring justice to Kenneth McClendon

According to Index Journal, in July 2024, Ackerman Jr’s first trial ended with a hung jury and was concluded as a mistrial. His second trial began on September 23, 2024.

During this trial, several pieces of evidence were presented, including security footage from near the crime scene, DNA evidence, testimonies from Meredith Haynie and an accident reconstructionist, David Torres, phone records, and other evidence found on William’s Ford F-250 truck.

The jury reached a verdict after a two-week trial. William Ackerman Jr. was found guilty and was given 45 years in prison. He appealed for a bond, however, it was denied by Judge Donald Hocker.

---

To learn more about this episode, tune into CBS tonight at 10 pm ET.