Anderson County’s oldest cold case is no longer just local lore. Nearly six decades after a 73-year-old World War I veteran was killed at the old Anderson Country Club, investigators have reopened the file and say they now have a person of interest, along with a working theory that the attack started as an effort to reach money hidden in the club’s office.
Townes Campbell was working night security at the club the night after a New Year’s Eve party in 1968 when he was attacked. According to WYFF 4, investigators say Campbell was beaten, suffered multiple blunt-force injuries and a fractured skull, and was shot before his body was dragged away from the property in what appeared to be an attempt to hide it.
Cold Case Team Puts Spotlight Back on Anderson’s Oldest Cold Case
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office launched its cold case unit in August 2025, giving detectives a formal setup to revisit boxes of files that had been sitting for years. The Campbell investigation is now one of two major cases the unit has pushed back into the spotlight, alongside the unit's work on the cases of Richard Martin and Jennifer Lawson.
WYFF 4’s report references the unit's work on Martin and Lawson. Those developments help explain why the Campbell file is off the shelf now rather than staying a historical footnote.
The linked WYFF report does not reference Anderson County Council agendas or Anderson County Register of Deeds, Book 18181 at Page 299. It also does not include a May 5, 2026 council agenda, a Williamston parcel reference, or cited Register of Deeds records.
Deputies Say Motive May Be Money, Still Need Public’s Help
Investigators believe whoever attacked Campbell was trying to get into a safe in the country club office to steal cash. So far, though, public details do not identify the person of interest or spell out what evidence led detectives to that lead. The WYFF article reports a person of interest but does not specify whether any arrests or charges have been announced in Campbell’s death.
Detectives are asking anyone who remembers the 1968 party, the club’s staff or regulars, or any unusual activity around the property to contact CrimeStoppers or the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. The agency lists its main number as 864-260-4400 and notes that anonymous information can still help move older cases forward.
