Reflections Upon a Sunny Day: An Autobiography by Murderer and Death Row Escapee Fred H. Kornahrens III

Fred H. Kornahrens III is one of South Carolina’s most famous criminals. He was condemned to death row and then, to the shock of the entire state, managed to escape. In the years that followed, people discussed Kornahrens’s story. Everyone had an opinion about the man, but few knew the truth. Now, he tells all in Reflections Upon a Sunny Day.

As a child, Kornahrens suffered from the unstable parenting of his mentally ill mother and aggressive father. When the two weren’t fighting each other, they were taking out their frustrations on a helpless child. Kornahrens’s mother was eventually hospitalized numerous times for schizophrenia but found no relief in the asylum.

Kornahrens himself began exhibiting signs of mental illness, but his upbringing hadn’t given him the tools to cope. He thought he found a purpose when he joined the military, but his career did not last long. He hoped he could make up for his parent’s faults by providing for his own family, but this proved to be the biggest mistake of all.

Finally, Kornahrens’s damaged psyche collapsed, and the resulting tragedy devastated the community. He has written his story, trying to make sense of what happened—for himself and for his readers.

Fred H. Kornahrens III grew up in South Carolina in an abusive and unstable household. He later joined the military and married Patti Jo Wilkerson. The couple had three children, but Kornahrens's mental instability led to a tragic crime for which he was sentenced to death.

The foreword for Reflections upon a Sunny Day was written by Joseph Wilkerson Kornahrens, the eldest child of Fred H. Kornahrens III, and M. Scott Steedley. Steedley is the founder of the nonprofit International Center for Sustainability. He was born in South Carolina's low country and hopes to pass on to his four children an appreciation of the region's beauty and cultural heritage.