The South Carolina Department of Public Safety held a dedication ceremony today remembering the life and service of Patrolman Roy O. Caffey who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1972.
He was a 25-year veteran of the Patrol.
Patrolman Caffey, a native of Temple, Texas, was survived by his wife, Mildred, and son, Robert who was a teen at the time of his father’s death.
The rest areas located at Interstate 26 East at mile marker 150 and on Interstate 26 West near mile marker 152 in Orangeburg County were named the “SCHP Patrolman First Class Roy O. Caffey Memorial Rest Stop.”
“The death of Patrolman Caffey was a tragic loss for the Caffey family and the Orangeburg community that he had faithfully loved and served,” said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith. “Ceremonies such as these ensure that the families of our fallen troopers know that no matter how many years have passed, their loved one will always be remembered.”
On the night of October 8, 1972, it was reported that Caffey had just completed a blood relay for a seriously ill man at the Orangeburg Hospital. When he returned to patrolling on I-26, he was fatally shot during a traffic stop a short time later.
In 1997, his son, Robert, worked in conjunction with DPS to have the incident re-enacted and aired on “Unsolved Mysteries.” This helped lead to an arrest of a woman in the case. The two other suspects had died by this time.
Roy Caffey had a legacy of service. He joined the Highway Patrol in 1947. Before that, he had been a civilian personnel supervisor for the Navy stationed at the Charleston Navy Shipyard. He actively served his church, First Baptist Church in Orangeburg, and his community.
“The Highway Patrol family is so proud to stand alongside the Caffey family today for this long overdue honor,” said Highway Patrol Col. Mike Oliver. “The cold-blooded murder of Patrolman Caffey was especially difficult for his family and friends because it took many years to see justice served in this case. Robert refused to give up on finding out what happened to his father that night, and we applaud him for his persistence.”
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