A former Marine was killed at a Bluffton store. 24 years later, his killer is a mystery

Twenty-four years after he was shot to death at a Bluffton store, a former Marine’s death remains a mystery.

David Speigel, 38, worked as a clerk at the Buckingham Pantry store when he was found shot to death behind the counter around 2 a.m. on Aug. 3, 1994, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release.

An investigation into his murder revealed that Speigel had been cashing personal checks for local illegal narcotics users who frequented the store.

A security monitor behind the counter was not activated and Speigel’s death was not captured on video.

Physical evidence in the case was difficult to identify because of the high volume of customers in and out of the store, the release said.

Investigators believe robbery was a likely motive for the crime, but it amounted to an attempted robbery since nothing was taken.

Rumors ranging from gang initiations to personal vendetta surfaced, but none were confirmed.

Several persons of interest were identified through the personal checks cashed at the store during Speigel’s shift, but there has been no physical evidence to link those people to the murder.

A reward of up to $2,500 has been offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CrimeSC.

This story was originally published August 4, 2018 at 1:55 PM.