Randy Barnhill, a 60-year-old man from Conway, South Carolina, was sentenced on September 30, 2025 to an effective 18 years in prison after entering an Alford plea to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and second-degree violent burglary in connection with a 2006 sexual assault in the Myrtle Beach area. Forensic genetic genealogy tied him to that attack and to four other cold-case assaults in Horry County dating back to 2000. He is ineligible for parole, must register as a sex offender, and faces possible civil commitment when his prison term ends.
The Charges and the Sentence
Circuit Court Judge Michael G. Nettles imposed three concurrent sentences in the 15th Judicial Circuit:
- First-degree criminal sexual conduct: 30 years, suspended to 18 years.
- Kidnapping: 30 years, suspended to 18 years.
- Second-degree violent burglary: 15 years, the statutory maximum.
Because the terms run concurrently, Barnhill will serve 18 years.1WBTW. Conway Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced in Sexual Assault Cold Case The plea resolved the 2006 case; the file does not say how charges tied to the other four assaults were disposed of.
What an Alford Plea Means Here
An Alford plea, named for the 1970 U.S. Supreme Court decision in North Carolina v. Alford, lets a defendant accept a conviction and sentence without admitting guilt, while conceding that the evidence would likely produce a conviction at trial.2Justia. North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 Barnhill’s attorney, Morgan Martin, told the judge, “I believe that if we had a trial, he would likely be convicted.”3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison The conviction and its consequences carry the same weight as a guilty plea.
How DNA Identified Him 16 Years Later
On November 25, 2006, a woman working after hours at a business in the Myrtle Beach area was accosted in the parking lot, forced inside, and sexually assaulted. Investigators developed an STR DNA profile from evidence at the scene and uploaded it to CODIS, the FBI’s national database. The profile linked the unknown attacker to several other unsolved crimes, but produced no name because Barnhill’s DNA was not in the system.4DNASolves. Randy Barnhill, South Carolina, Horry County
In December 2020, the Horry County Police Department sent evidence to Othram, a private lab specializing in advanced DNA work. Othram used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a fuller profile, then ran forensic genetic genealogy to generate investigative leads. Those leads pointed to Barnhill in late May 2022, and Horry County Police arrested him on June 9, 2022.3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison
Five Cold Cases and a Long Record
On June 29, 2022, warrants were served in four additional sexually based offenses that occurred between 2000 and 2005, bringing the total to five cases and 13 charges.5WLOS. Randy Earl Barnhill Serial Sexual Assault Cold Case, Horry County According to the Myrtle Beach Sun News, the attacks involved Barnhill forcibly entering women’s homes or trapping them in their cars before assaulting them.6Myrtle Beach Online. Horry County Sexual Assault Cold Cases
Barnhill’s prior record in South Carolina stretched back decades: assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in 1989, indecent exposure in Horry County in 1993 and 1995, criminal domestic violence in 2007, and indecent exposure in Georgetown County in 2017. The 1993 conviction placed him on the sex offender registry.3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison Judges cited that history, along with the DNA evidence, in denying him bond three times while he awaited trial.7My Horry News. Horry County Man Charged With Old Sexual Assaults Denied Bond
What Comes After Prison
Barnhill is not eligible for parole. He must register as a sex offender. When he finishes his prison term, he is subject to involuntary civil commitment under South Carolina’s Sexually Violent Predator Act, a process that can extend confinement beyond the criminal sentence if the state proves he meets the statute’s criteria.1WBTW. Conway Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced in Sexual Assault Cold Case He had 10 days from sentencing to file an appeal.3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison
Voices at Sentencing
A victim identified publicly as Jane Doe described a 2000 attack that happened as she walked to her car after work. She said she tried to kick Barnhill, push him off, and stab him with a car key, but could not stop him. “It was like he was in a trance,” she told the court, and asked the judge for the maximum penalty: “I just don’t want anyone else to experience this.”3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison She told the court she had reported the crime because she believed the attacks would otherwise escalate.8WMBF News. Alleged Serial Rapist in Horry County Appears in Court
Martin did not dispute that his client had committed multiple assaults, but argued that “any danger that Randy once posed has passed,” and asked for a sentence that would allow Barnhill to be “punished and then reunited with his family before he died.”3The Post and Courier. SC Serial Rapist Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison
Senior Assistant Solicitor Leigh Andrew Waller prosecuted the case for the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “We are grateful to law enforcement for their commitment to solving crimes regardless of how much time has passed,” Waller said, crediting Retired Detective John Brantley and Director of Evidence Services Lori Dudley with breaking the case.9WPDE. Conway Man Sentenced to 18 Years for 2006 Sexual Assault