‘My full intentions were to kill her,’ SC man said of box cutter attack, prosecutor says
A South Carolina man is going to prison after being found guilty of attacking his girlfriend with a box cutter, according to the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
On March 13, Robert Allen Gaffney was convicted of attempted murder, the solicitor’s office said Tuesday in a news release. The 38-year-old Lexington County resident was sentenced to 25 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, according to the release.
Because attempted murder is classified as a violent crime it’s a “no parole” offense, according to South Carolina law. There were no plea negotiations on the attempted murder charge, the solicitor’s office said.
On May 26, 2023, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call reporting that a woman had been assaulted by her boyfriend and was bleeding profusely, according to the release.
Deputies found the victim covered in blood with numerous lacerations and gaping wounds to her face, neck and chest, the solicitor’s office said.
Investigators determined that Gaffney used a box cutter to cut and stab the victim more than 20 times in an unprovoked attack, according to the release. Gaffney also used his fist to hit the victim in the head as he assaulted her with the box cutter, the solicitor’s office said.
The victim was taken to an area hospital and needed surgery to treat her wounds, according to the release. Further information on the victim’s current condition was not available.
Following the assault, Gaffney left the scene before he was eventually found outside of Lexington County, the solicitor’s office said. When he was arrested, a large amount of blood was discovered on both inside of his car and on his clothing, according to the release.
After being taken into custody, Gaffney confessed to stabbing the victim multiple times, the solicitor’s office said. Additionally, Gaffney confessed to a family member, saying “my full intentions were to kill her,” according to the release.
Investigators also discovered that within an hour before the stabbing, Gaffney had conducted multiple internet searches regarding ways to murder someone, the solicitor’s office said.
Major crimes unit Investigator Brandon Kinder led the investigation for the sheriff’s department, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant Solicitor Whitney Taylor. Public Defender Sarah Mauldin was listed as Gaffney’s attorney, Lexington County court records show.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 8:03 AM.
