On the night of September 12, 1970, 17-year-old Michael Hinson attended a Dorman High School football game. The 11th grader and his friends went to buy beer at the Ice House on Howard Street in Spartanburg, South Carolina. One of them had a fake I.D. and planned to drink the beer at a friends home on Magness Drive.
When the group was at a stoplight on Asheville Highway and California Ave. Michael leaned out of the window believing to see someone he knew at the gas station (that is now a used car lot) and yelled "Painter" at them.
The boys went on to Magness Drive to see if the friend was home. They soon realized though that a 1967 a faded chalkboard green Plymouth Fury (that may have come from the gas station) was following close behind them. They began a cat and mouse game through Hilltop. The teens pulled over at the Bethany Baptist Church and Michael got out of the car and confronted the Fury. He screamed at the driver to stop. The driver continued and the boys and Michael followed it up on Alamo St. and back down Asheville Highway.
The boys turned right into the Cleveland Park area and lost the Fury. They drove back to the Hilltop where they met the Fury again. It came up from behind them and passed them on the Hilltop. They followed the Fury again traveling at high speeds. They rode around the Hilltop area for a while and headed back to the Asheville Highway. The Fury then stopped at the red light at the Shell Station at California Ave. Michael got out of the car and confronted the driver through the passenger side window to see what they wanted.
They heard a shot and saw Michael fall back. He fell back on one hand and he started walking back to the car. The Fury ran the red light and continued towards Cleveland Park and turned right from Asheville Highway into Glenwood Estate. Michael told his friends he had been shot. They rushed him to Spartanburg General Hospital.
Michael didn't regain consciousness and died a short time after. He had been shot with a .22 caliber in the stomach and died from internal bleeding.
One night a woman called the family. Michaels mother answered the phone. The only thing the woman said was "Maybe that boy thought your son was going to harm him,"
There were two people seen in the car. The teens didn't get a good look and said that they believe that they were two men around 19 or 20. The passenger was white with long black hair. Authorities believed that it could be possible that the boys were from Spartanburg High School from the area they seemed to run off to.
SOURCES:
Spartanburg County Sheriff
Group State
My dad was born and raised in Spartanburg, I believe the Hilltop area and Campobello area as well. He was born in 1953. I'm not sure whatyear he moved away but I'm curious to know and I am going to ask him if he knows or knew anything about this. My dad has a good memory and he has an impeccable memory when it comes to cars. Maybe he remembers having a friend who drove a '67 chalkboard green Plymouth Fury?I'll update with anything he tells me.
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