After this discovery, interrogators circled back around to Hampton. He also had a blotchy, pockmarked face, made worse from poison ivy exposure the year prior. Riley, a famously tight-lipped officer, stated: "We're treating it strictly as a missing persons report. A forensic anthropologist with the University of South Carolina examined the skull and found it belonged to an African American child between the ages of 6 and 8. However, it wasn't until 2002 that prosecutors began firing off the big guns at Hampton. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. One man who had met the couple stated that the man, Jacques, had told him that his father was a physician in Canada. He had been previously terminated due to unexcused absences and excessive tardiness, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. Few details have been gleaned from interviews. Police would find out what happened to this little girl over the years, but it would take time, advancements in DNA technology, and the persistence of dedicated investigators. "The murder kidnapping and criminal sexual misconduct charges have been dropped. It was this apartment complex where, on a Sunday evening in the middle of May, everything seemed right with the world. Here, the skull would be confirmed as belonging to Kia Logan, with the FBI forensic investigators theorizing that Kia had originaly been killed in Greenwood County and then later dumped in Newberry County. This meant that police were pretty confident that the skull had been intentionally left there. The searches and canvass of the apartment complex continued on into Tuesday, but police wouldn't release another public statement until May 18th - Wednesday. He had been talking with someone on a moped when a dark car came up, and two people opened fire from within. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. It is what life is made of. Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides, By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. Her body was found seven days after the crash. She, also, went missing while riding her bike very close to her home, in a public setting. It seems that there may be been two suspects who were trying to rob the bank. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. He admitted to committing three child abductions in northern Georgia and confessed to having killed a child at an out-of-state farm. However, they were not positively identified until 1998, ten years after she vanished. On the northern outskirts of the town is the small country airport, which consists of a single elongated runway. In the case of Malik Padgetts slaying at a party in 2013 on Tabor Street, more than 100 people were at the scene but no witness was able to identify a suspect. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. The author of the newspaper article noted that as she spoke about her daughter, Bernetta was clutching a photo of Kia. The physical search didn't produce any leads or clues. While he had previously confessed to the crime, he recanted, resulting in the rape charge being dropped due to a lack of evidence. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. South Carolina is loaded with history and ghostly tales of suspense. Officers did find an air pistol at a nearby street corner, along with a car with a shot-out window. Thank you! But we can't prove it. Bullets damaged the window of a residence and shot through a TV inside. However, theyd waited to pursue their case, as they didnt want to risk activating an interstate agreement between Georgia and South Carolina, which would have required them to have brought Hampton to trial within 180 days of the charges being laid. 8th Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace, who had replaced William Townes Jones in the preceding half-decade, had plenty to say about this decision. They had been playing basketball together when Malakia decided to go home. Police also found actual pairs of children's underwear in his laundry, which then sent in for forensic testing. His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. Anyone with information on any of Greenwoods homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki 1,914 pages Explore Netflix series Episodes Case-Files Contributing in: United States South Carolina Category page Edit This Category is reserved for Unsolved Mysteries cases that occurred on South Carolina. Anyone with information about Sumter County's unsolved cases is asked to use the following methods to provide a crucial tip: Sumter County Sheriff's Office . Part of me is missing and I need to find it.". In November 2002, Hampton was transferred to a jail in Greenwood County and charged with murder, abduction and intent to commit criminal sexual misconduct on a minor, all in relation to Kias disappearance and murder. No one knows what really happened in that short span of time. As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. Police interviewed a few of Paynes friends and coworkers but didnt learn much. Despite that, police wouldn't have any real leads to follow up on until October of the next year, 1990. One of those cases was Stephen Smith a 19-year-old man from Hampton, S.C. who was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015. It bothers me that we seem willing to accept this obvious crime against a child without a public uproar. Trending pages Kari Lynn Nixon Dana Satterfield Superbike Motorsports Murders Jessica Gutierrez Michele Whitaker This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". GREENWOOD, SC (WSPA) A rally in front of the Greenwood Courthouse brought families of nearly a half dozen murder victims together Tuesday afternoon. At the time of his arrest, he was forty-four years old, and was driving a white 1986 Dodge 600. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. But now a parent's worst fear was beginning to creep into their bones the realization that she had not been okay, that something HAD happened to her. A Mother and Son Are Found Murdered, Deepening a Mystery in South Carolina. Freeman was shot at about 10 p.m. July 15, 2018 at a Sumter Street residence. It happened May 15, 1988, somewhere between the small park that was just 300 yards away from the apartment complex and her door. Police recovered six shell casings and spoke with witnesses who heard the shooting, but didnt see the car the shooter drove by in, according to a report. He voluntarily provided blood and hair samples. Change). Despite the charges being dropped in relation to Kias murder, Hampton was convicted on obstruction of justice in relation to the Richland County case and his alleged false confessions. We are also following up on similar situations that occur in this area and nationwide.". Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had originally responded, was a Sergeant at this point in time for the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. Other paranormal phenomena are also regularly reported here. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at her hometown's Lander University. On July 4th, the Greenwood-area newspaper, the Index Journal, ran a story detailing Kia's mom, Bernetta Logan, as she struggled with the disappearance of her youngest daughter. James and Margaret Barnes walked into the bank together just after 1 p.m. and at 1:30 p.m. the panic button had been pushed. You can not have good without a bad. Friends were celebrating the warm weather by swimming in the apartment pools, kids were playing outside among others their age, and families were barbecuing and picnicking in the community areas. The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer They all lived in housing close to the highway in-question, and they were all abducted from one location and led to another. Does it not bother you, as it does me, that our community, with a few exceptions, seems to be showing little aggressive concern over the mysterious disappearance of one of our children, Kia Logan? Hampton pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately recanted his confession, just as hed done in previous cases. This is when police spoke to Hampton's ex-wife and girlfriend, who told them things about Charles that made them think he was a viable suspect. ", Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster also shared his thoughts, referring to the active state of the investigation or rather, the lack of one: "I can't think of anything worse than losing a child to an act of violence, then on top of that losing a child which you really don't know what happened.". In the weeks since Kia had gone missing, Bernetta struggled to leave the phone for any prolonged period of time. The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund was established by Tuck Wooten, the Head of A.M. Tuck Inc. He died later at the hospital. Use at your own risk. Neighbors cameras didnt offer much, but one witness said he saw a black sedan leave speeding from the area. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. They're no closer today than they were back in 1988 when Kia was snatched up. There were witnesses that say they saw a white male whose face was pockmarked driving an older model, dark, Monte Carlo, but none of them ever saw Malakia with him or any other suspicious activity. Prosecutors there had been building a case against Hampton since the summer of 2000, but chose not to bring it forward because of an interstate agreement between Georgia and South Carolina. Another witness suggested it could have been a drive-by shooting. I think it's important to note this, not because I definitively believe him to be the person responsible for Kia Logan's abduction or murder. In-between the apartment's basketball court and her front door, this little girl had disappeared. A random child abduction that went "sour" - usually a byproduct of a victim choosing to fight back, or attempting to run away. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. An unsolved murder. The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is lower than the state average. Newberry County Memorial Hospital forensic pathologist Dr. Keene Garvin reiterated this finding, stating - after preliminary testing had been conducted - that the skull was likely placed there are the body had decomposed. Parker told police he heard a knock at the front door and opened it, then was shot by one of the two men there. On this Sunday afternoon, in the middle of May, all seemed to be well. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. We won't share it with anyone else. Advertisement Investigators with the Greenwood Police. Witnesses said they heard the shooting and one gave a description of a suspect but left before officers could question them further. This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. The murder is being investigated by the Columbia Police Department. Three days following Hawkins slaying, police found about 40 shell casings in the area around 526 Sumter St. They were able to release a composite of him, which aired on the evening news, along with a description of his vehicle, which was believed to be a mid-1970s dark blue or black Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Welldo you really need that much sleep? No one was hurt when multiple shots were fired early Saturday in the area of Piedmont Avenue and Edgefield Street. A man and a woman (who have come to be known by Jacques and Jane) were shot three times each. This was in 1996, where he plead guilty to having drilled a hole into a womens restroom at a Georgia rest stop and was sentenced to five years. Murdaugh undergoes cross-examination in his own murder trial. Like I said, these crimes varied by location, with some taking place in Georgia and others in South Carolina. What he had told them was intriguing at face-value, but there was nothing incriminating: it was as-if he was saying enough to keep police on-the-hook, but not enough to actually be charged with any crimes. More than 20 shell casings of three different calibers were found in the road, along with a .45-caliber handgun in a mulch pile near where Hawkins was shot. The shooting on Sumter Street happened at 8:45 p.m. May 22, and while a car and two apartments were damaged, no one was injured. Earlier in the day, they had been aided by helicopters provided by SLED - the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, a statewide police agency. According to investigators, theyd managed to uncover strong evidence linking Hampton to Kias murder, including a version of events that included details only someone involved would know, which was enough for a Greenwood County grand jury to indict him on the charges. At around the time these sexual assaults came to an end, in the summer of 1996, police began to eye a specific sexual deviant as a potential suspect. It is the yin and yang; balance in all things. By September 15th, Kia had been missing for four months. This year my daughter Renee will go, but I will stay here to answer the phone, just in case. The authorities are opening a new investigation into an unsolved 2015 death as a result of information gleaned after two . Just like the day of the week, the timing changed, as well: some victims were abducted as early as 12:45 in the afternoon, while others were abducted as the sun began to set: seven or eight o'clock at night. Police called for EMS, but Padgett looked badly injured so officers loaded him into a patrol car to drive him to the hospital. Georgetown has always been a family-type community. This would prove to be one of the only clues found during the course of the investigation. Within the year, the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund had topped $20,000, for any information that would lead to answers for the missing eight-year old. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. In particular, they went after him for comments he had made between his 2000 release from prison and his 2002 re-arrest, in which he had confessed to the 1995 abduction of a five-year old girl from Richland County and the subsequent sexual assault. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. About two weeks earlier, Cody Hawkins was shot in an apparent drive-by shooting May 19 on Pearl Street, close to Osborne Avenue. It saw donations come in from both residents of Greenwood and local businesses, resulting in a total of over $20,000 raised. It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995. Major Sam Riley was quoted as saying: "These leads have carried the investigation outside of the Greenwood area.". We're requesting anyone with information call our office.". They also tried to see if her disappearance was tied to other missing persons cases from surrounding states. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. The man was covered in blood, and Perez made the shape of a gun with his hand to show police that he and the other man had been shot. "We're also looking for a faded dark blue or black Monte Carlo, a mid-70's model. There were approximately 17,721 homicides in South Carolina between 1980 and 2019, according to the Project: Cold Case website for unsolved homicide statistics. Alex Murdaugh Charged With Fraud After Asking Former Client to Kill Him.
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