He said its unlikely that no one saw the shooter, but rather that witnesses dont feel comfortable sharing what they saw. It's like a depression has set in.". They had reason to believe that Hampton had been responsible for some truly terrible crimes, but they had no prove any of them. Perez called police himself at about 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2010, and flagged them down as they arrived at 207 New Market St. At least four of the six could easily be solved if someone would step up and give us better info because they know.. The investigation to find her had still gone nowhere truly productive, with police beginning to expand their search out of the area according to some in the police department, even out of the state. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Greenwood, SC. (LogOut/ Her granddaughter, Ashley, had been friends with both Kia and Renee Logan, and had actually been playing with the two on the basketball court shortly before Kia disappeared. GREENWOOD, SC (WSPA) A rally in front of the Greenwood Courthouse brought families of nearly a half dozen murder victims together Tuesday afternoon. Complete the Cold Case Tip Form (PDF). Sadly, he wasn't too far off. This year my daughter Renee will go, but I will stay here to answer the phone, just in case. Alex Murdaugh took the witness stand on Feb. 23, Day 23 of his trial for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul.When Murdaugh . With the searches beginning to run dry, a reward fund for information was established by Tuck Wooten, the head of the A.M. Tuck Inc. concrete company. Renee and their friend decided to stay at the court for a short while longer. He lifted his shirt and officers saw Perez had two gunshot wounds on his right side. The case surrounding Kias disappearance was initially investigated as a simple missing persons report. Winds light and variable. It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. Thats why its so important that we build that relationship with the community and we have that working relationship, he said. This would come up later in the story, so please keep that in-mind. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. Discuss Greenwood, South Carolina (SC) on our hugely popular South Carolina forum. You never know if that tiny piece of information could flesh out the full puzzle. 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. It's hard not to compare the crime to that of Tiffany Nelson, a nine-year old that went missing from Augusta, Georgia in June of 1994. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. The family, to their credit, was steadfast in their conviction, wanting to to see Hampton in a court to face the charges levied against him. Despite this overwhelming sadness experienced by Bernetta and her family at this moment in time, the article had a profound effect on the community. Greenwood is the type of town you imagine when you think of rural America: a downtown comprised of brick buildings, a railroad track that separates the storefronts from the industrial area, and a large suburban population. Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides, By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ Police interviewed a few of Paynes friends and coworkers but didnt learn much. Chaudoin said he plans to start a monthly cold case briefing within the next few months, to share information with the public about these cases in the hopes of inspiring tipsters. This not being enough, the skull would later be sent to an FBI lab in 1998. When asked about the rash of sexual assaults against children, he suspiciously stated that the person responsible "would know how not to get caught," at least this time. A witness spotted two men running from the area after the shooting, and they got into a small silver four-door vehicle parked at a nearby gas station. Who was the man who found them? Sadly, South Carolina and other states in the United States have hundreds, if not thousands, of unsolved cases. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. A follow-up news article stated how employees of the local K-Mart, so moved by Wiggins' battle cry, raised $650 within an hour. Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. We won't share it with anyone else. Kia was a third grade student at Merrywood Elementary School. You can also contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000. Hampton pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately recanted his confession, just as hed done in previous cases. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. Through the rest of the year, police would remain relatively silent as to where their investigation stood. While police began a search of his home and his vehicle, he openly admitted to several things. The witness saw three young men in the car, and when officers checked near the church they found a pair of shoes that matched a sole imprint at the scene. On May 30th, over two weeks after Kia had disappeared, investigators were still optimistic. Needless to say, Charles Hampton was now on their radar. Anyone with information on any of Greenwood's homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. "Reading his statement, you'd think that only the person who did that would know those details. Since that time two ponds have been drained, searches have been conducted, and a serial killer (who would have been a teenager at that time) has been interviewed all to no avail. Sam Riley, who had been a Major in the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, had recently been elected Sheriff. He also had a blotchy, pockmarked face, made worse from poison ivy exposure the year prior. Learn how your comment data is processed. Coffee is her best friend and a good book cannot be beat! What happened to little Jeremy? Edward Lee Elmore was a black man in the town of Greenwood, South Carolina in 1982 when he was arrested for the murder of 75-year-old Dorothy Edwards, a popular fun-loving woman who was well-known in the community. Georgetown has always been a family-type community. On this Sunday afternoon, in the middle of May, all seemed to be well. Perez took police to another man lying on a concrete pad behind an apartment. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. Police had continued to interview people within the apartment complex, hoping to learn more about these two mysterious men and any ties they had to the tenants. 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. It began to seem to police like he was making things up as he went along, but they were constantly reminded by the facts that something was amiss. cityofgreenwoodsc.com/departments/police/submit-an-anonymous-tip. They also tried to see if her disappearance was tied to other missing persons cases from surrounding states. In-between her 1988 disappearance and the 1998 confirmation that the skull belonged to her, they had prepared for the worst but anticipated Kia returning home. Earlier that night, she and a few of her friends had attended a U2 concert and afterwards went to a nightclub, then known as Jungle Jim's. The sun was beginning to set, and this eight-year old climbed onto her bike to head back home. In an idling SUV, Sherwin Gittens was found dead by police. He did not live here. They were just a few hundred or so yards from their apartment, where the sisters lived with their mother, a middle school teacher. Even though you cant say I understand what youre going through, because I have not lost a child, you have to just be with them, answer the questions they have and be available to them when they need to talk and reach out to you.. There was no identification on them, but it was surmised they were traveling or 'backpacking'. Cold cases isnt the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his departments unsolved homicides. An unsolved murder. It happened May 15, 1988, somewhere between the small park that was just 300 yards away from the apartment complex and her door. Call CrimeStoppers 843-554-1111. It took police a while to line up the suspect description because the vehicles in-question varied based on each witness: two described the vehicle they had been abducted in as a champagne-gold Mazda, while others pointed out either a white Toyota Corolla or a white Chevy Celebrity. An eight-year-old girl that lived in this community was out playing with her sister and a friend on their apartment complex's basketball court. Low 44F. The second man proved to be of greater interest to investigators. They had no evidence that he had actually committed the crime, but they had his confession on-record, and at the very least, he had lied to investigators and caused them to waste valuable time by pursuing him as the suspect. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. Police spoke with about 20 people in the area, but few had anything to report. He spoke about the skull as well, stating about his communication with the Newberry County Sheriff's Office: "We were in contact with them yesterday and we will be in contact with them again today. Name: Date: Victims: Location : A: Sylvester Lewis ADAMS October 17, 1979: 1: South Carolina, USA: Quincy Javon ALLEN July-August 2002: 4: South Carolina, USA : John . She loves to tackle her dreams head on and takes life by storm. Kia and her sister, Renee, were playing with some friends on the basketball court, when Kia decided to turn in at around 8:30 PM. There are just no leads or evidence to go on even though the police push every avenue they come across. However, one of the most interesting notes of this sketch came from a description, which noted that the suspect had a pockmarked face. Malakia Kia Zali Logan was born on August 1, 1979 to parents Richard and Bernetta Logan. Police department Public Information Officer Jonathan Link said investigators are continuing to work with the information theyve gathered in each of these cases, and that theyve tried to get more information through interviewing witnesses and other people of interest. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. It bothers me that we seem willing to accept this obvious crime against a child without a public uproar. It was occupied by an older white male with graying hair. However, with DNA testing being in its infancy, it would be years before they could definitively test the skull for forensic proof. These tips carried the investigation outside the Greenwood area, with investigators pursuing leads to as far away at California. Share your news tips and story ideas with us. He openly confessed to committing several of the child abductions, providing explicit details of the subsequent sexual assaults. However, they were not positively identified until 1998, ten years after she vanished. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. He voluntarily provided blood and hair samples. This would prove to be one of the only clues found during the course of the investigation. - tattooed on his right shoulder. As of this episode's recording, the abduction and murder of Malakia Zali Logan remains unresolved. On Sept. 3, 2007 at 1:00 am the victim LaKavis Henicks age 13 was shot to death in the parking lot of the Gaz-Bah at 6201 Farrow Rd. Unfortunately for them, as soon as Hampton went to jail for Peeping Tom, he stopped cooperating with investigators. Pity us if we don't! All these cases are active. On June 22, 2007, the prosecutor announced that the charges against Hampton would be dropped, citing a lack of evidence to corroborate his prior confession. She hopped on her bike and began riding back to her mother's apartment - a distance no greater than three-hundred yards. Soon, children began playing outside of the Georgetown apartments once again, Kia's disappearance becoming an outlier to a safe community. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP . Other paranormal phenomena are also regularly reported here. It was this apartment complex where, on a Sunday evening in the middle of May, everything seemed right with the world. 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 tried to use the dental records and skull reconstruction techniques available to them, in an effort to determine if the skull was Kia's, but nothing was positively confirmed. We're scraping the bottom right now.". In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at her hometown's Lander University. That was when police announced that they were looking for two men, who had been seen in the vicinity of the Georgetown apartment complex late Sunday afternoon. Little else could be determined of the victim or how they had died, as the skull showed no signs of obvious trauma or any bullet holes. A random child abduction that went "sour" - usually a byproduct of a victim choosing to fight back, or attempting to run away. She was a small girl, who had been wearing yellow shorts, a yellow-and-white polka-dot shirt, and slip-on shoes on the evening she disappeared. On May 18, 1988, police released a statement to the public, which informed residents that two men were seen in the vicinity of the apartment complex on the afternoon Kia went missing. Between the 2002 indictment and this, he had accrued nearly five years of time served. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. The searches and canvass of the apartment complex continued on into Tuesday, but police wouldn't release another public statement until May 18th - Wednesday. His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Date of Death: October 25, 2011 Location: 15 Spartanburg Court, Apt. You can not have good without a bad. 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 was a Sunday in Greenwood, South Carolina - a small town roughly an hour north of Augusta, Georgia and about an hour-and-a-half west of Columbia, South Carolina. Online"10 Books to Cozy Up With This December"PopSugar A popular sorority girl. He had green eyes, with brown hair, a brown mustache, and a few days' worth of graying stubble at the time of his arrest in 1996. 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? In his vehicle, police found many out-of-place items: things such as clothing, toilet paper, the marriage certificate of him and his ex-wife, etc. It is believed that the subjects were attempting to rob his neighbor's apartment. Welldo you really need that much sleep? He was accused of intentionally drilling the holes to Peep on unwitting victims, and arrested shortly after this was discovered. BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WIS) - Two men died in a shooting Friday night in Batesburg-Leesville, police confirmed. Calling them cold cases implies they're no longer active, but Chaudoin. The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer Over the next week, the letter written by Dr. Wiggins inspired many to pledge support to the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund. At around 8:15pm, Kia decided she wanted to return home and thus grabbed her bike and left. Just a couple of blocks from this airport are a number of apartment complexes - all of which are a few miles out from downtown Greenwood. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. On October 1, 1990, Malakia's remains were found in a wooded area on U.S. Forest Service property in Newberry County. Detectives will re-interview witnesses and relatives of victims to try and find any new leads. We must not forget the ones that have left us mysteriously. He was taken to Self Regional Medical Center for treatment, where he died of his injury. I had dreams that maybe she's been in California or somewhere all this time.". Stabbed The mid 1980's was the last contact Lori had with her family. Kias case was featured on a 1990 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. In fact, police noted that he might have been a little TOO eager at times. We are also following up on similar situations that occur in this area and nationwide.". Victims advocates play an important role in communicating with the families of people killed, and officers work to be up-front and communicate often with the families. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. I'm not the first to ask that question and so many more than me want to know the answer. The first man was described as being white, older in age and with greying hair, and was seen driving a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. The next day, a retired pediatrician named Casper E. Wiggins wrote a heartfelt editorial in the Index Journal, which read as follows: " A child is missing, and apart from the few days immediately after her kidnapping, the public outcry has been next to nothing. He included details, some of which convinced police that he had involvement, but others they viewed skeptically. In 1993, the skull was sent to the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC for DNA testing, but the results were inconclusive. "It's definitely changed the lifestyle here. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. Police were able to link Hampton to a farm owned in northern Georgia, which was owned by a friend of his. Get more stories delivered right to your email. South Carolina's unsolved mysteries Greenville, SC 29601 62 Light Rain 90% MORE No Alerts & Closings in Your Area Sign Up to Get Future Alerts 1 / 2 Advertisement TOP PICKS South. Love South Carolina? OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The days in which the victims were abducted varied, with three of the crimes happening on a Saturday, a Friday, and a Monday. He recognized one of the men but wasnt able to give police a description before EMS staff arrived to treat him. It is reported that a neighbor saw him standing outside by the road with his bicycle as if he were waiting on the bus, but he didn't have school that day. They did, however, share a similar suspect description of a middle-aged white man with grey stubble, a pockmarked complexion and a tattoo of either a dragon or a snake on one of his biceps. Unless new evidence emerges, our participation is over.". Police also found actual pairs of children's underwear in his laundry, which then sent in for forensic testing. Zykevious Ramseys sister, Jada Leverette, said her brother was a loving, quiet and kind person, and she didnt know who or why someone killed him early Tuesday morning. Most South Carolinians Have Never Heard Of This Fascinating Auto Museum, People Are Going Crazy Over The Handmade Monster Biscuit At This Tiny South Carolina Restaurant, Explore An Island From 700 Feet Above On This Helicopter Ride In South Carolina, Paddling Through The Hidden Wadboo Creek Is A Magical South Carolina Adventure That Will Light Up Your Soul, Donald Pee Wee Gaskins, One Of Americas First Serial Killers, Got His Start In South Carolina, The Dark History Behind This Tiny Town In South Carolina Will Never Be Forgotten, Dukes Mayonnaise Was Invented At This Old, Charming Two-Story Ruin In South Carolina From The Early 1900s, The Terrifying South Carolina Lowcountry Road Trip Is Haunting Good Fun. They're no closer today than they were back in 1988 when Kia was snatched up. Then, when her family and former-sheriff Sam Riley got involved, they realized that the initial reward fund - which had been established for information - had remained untouched for around two decades. 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. Charles Wade Hampton later plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges, which stemmed from him lying to investigators. Choose wisely! The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Earlier that morning, his mother had checked on him before leaving for work. Also, the Kia Reward Fund is growing and we are hopeful that this will bring someone forward with positive information. They combed around the Georgetown Apartments for most of the night, until the lack of light eventually led to them turning it around. Early on in questioning, Charles admitted that he often changed his hair color. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. It's a reminder of unfinished business.". This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". Eventually, DNA testing would show that, while the same suspect was involved in all six abductions, Hampton was not the one who committed them. It is what life is made of. Her father was the mayor of Saluda, a small town in South Carolina, and her mother was a teacher at a local middle school. All of these cases are still open and being investigated when or if leads become available. A little after nine o'clock that evening, Kia was reported missing to the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department. Sadly, if we forget then so do others and no one should be forgotten. ", Riley, of course, was Major Sam Riley of the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. He also had scars along his right arm and stomach, which matched up with what one of the younger victims had described. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. There was a fight among a group of teenagers and several shots were fired. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. He had been handcuffed, bound with duct tape, and shot in the head. Part of me is missing and I need to find it.". When they continued their rounds of questioning, Hampton was eager to talk. They sent it off for continued testing at the University of South Carolina, where a forensic anthropologist was able to tell investigators that the skull belonged "to a six-to-eight-year-old African American.". He was described as white, between the ages of 35 and 40, 58 to 59 tall and 250 pounds. Greenwood's Emergency Preparedness Director Herbert Vaughn spoke to the local press, and talked about the searches his department had helped conduct in the area on Monday and Tuesday. She then contacted Lori's daughter and found that she hadn't heard from Lori since 1992. Throughout the 30+ year investigation, various leads and suspects would come and go. During these searches, they uncovered many out-of-place items, as well as images of nude women and adults, a pornographic magazine, torn-out magazine images of children and several photographs of children in their underwear. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had responded to the incident and originally stayed the night, continued to feel a personal connection to the story. You may remain anonymous and possibly receive a cash reward. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. Nothing more is known On a cold and rainy Thursday morning Jeremy Grice mysteriously vanished from his North Augusta home. 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. From video footage they have been able to piece together that the car was a red Oldsmobile Alero made between 1999 and 2003. You have permission to edit this article. Change). Few details have been gleaned from interviews. According to our research of South Carolina and other state lists, there were 13 registered sex offenders living in Greenwood, South Carolina as of March 04, 2023. "We're now awaiting requests from law enforcement for further assistance. Police noted that he had a snake tattoo on his upper arm, as well as his initials - C.H. Murdaugh undergoes cross-examination in his own murder trial. Is it twisted thinking? The DNA testing from the six sexual assaults linked them together, indicating that a single suspect was behind each of the crimes - however, none of those samples matched up with Hampton himself. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. Like I said, these crimes varied by location, with some taking place in Georgia and others in South Carolina. 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. Charles Wade Hampton were eventually charged with Malakia's murder, but the mystery remains unsolved. Advertisement Investigators with the Greenwood Police. It had been nearly five years since the original indictment was filed, accusing him of the abduction and murder of Kia Logan. We began checking missing children cases and conducted three weeks of intensive searches for additional remains, but we didn't find anything.". According to investigators, theyd had a case against him since 2000 and hed, in fact, been a suspect since 1996. Winds light and variable. There is nothing left to tell about this case unfortunately. DNA testing confirmed her identity. The County Bank is accepting and receipting donations. In the afternoons you see small children running and playing, riding skateboards, that kind of thing. Witnesses said they hadnt seen Kia near the men or getting into either of their vehicles. All of their friends in the apartment complex had since gone home, so Renee knew that Kia wasn't still out there. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. 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. Renee arrived home approximately 15 to 20 minutes later and it was discovered that Kia had not returned. His height was listed in the range of 5'8" or 5'9", and he was of slight build, in the weight range of 150 pounds. Use at your own risk. The lone exception was a five-year old girl with tan, olive-colored skin who had dark feaures. The crime spree began in July 1995 and carried on until August of 1996. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He has a folder in his office with the reports on each of these cases, and he said hes read some of them upwards of 15 times. As another family started mourning Tuesday, Greenwood law enforcement had another shooting on their hands to solve. Results: Unresolved. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. 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. The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, SuspectCharged, The Disappearances of Tina & BethanySinclair. (LogOut/ Every state has its unsolved mysteries and South Carolina, unfortunately, is not without its own. At least nine unsolved murder cases in Union County have investigators asking the public . By this point, her family had begun to fear the worst. It hasn't been updated with any of his current information. In the weeks since Kia had gone missing, Bernetta struggled to leave the phone for any prolonged period of time. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. When human remains are found and the identity of the deceased person is unknown, this unit provides artistic renderings of what the victim/person may have looked like in life. Officers spoke with several witnesses who described the vehicle the shooters were in, but have been unable to identify any suspects. At the time of her disappearance, Reinaldo Javier "Ray" Rivera, now a convicted serial killer, was attending the University of South Carolina. "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. One person said they saw a man running from the area between two of the apartment complexs buildings. [6] It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995.

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