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. 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. Police noted that he had a snake tattoo on his upper arm, as well as his initials - C.H. Local businesses continued by making donations to the fund. The Unraveling of the Murdaugh Dynasty: Unsolved Murders, Insurance Fraud and Missing Millions Since South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh admitted last week to trying to stage his own murder, the . His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. It was occupied by a white male, thirty-five to forty years of age, slender built, lean or pointed facial features with brownish blond hair with sun streaks.". "The 10 Best New Mystery and Thriller Books of December are Giving Us Literal Chills"E! 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. At around 8:15pm, Kia decided she wanted to return home and thus grabbed her bike and left. It has been over a decade since there was any news or developments in the investigation, with it seeming to entering the pantheon of cold cases which will likely never be truly solved. Change). Name. 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. BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WIS) - Two men died in a shooting Friday night in Batesburg-Leesville, police confirmed. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Will they ever find out what happened and who these two young people were? We won't share it with anyone else. 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. Police did not share the part of town in which the shooting happened. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP . Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. When they continued their rounds of questioning, Hampton was eager to talk. 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. Get Alerts Map; Browse By State; Submit a Crime Tip Square with arrow pointing upper right. Unfortunately for them, as soon as Hampton went to jail for Peeping Tom, he stopped cooperating with investigators. And of course, we have our legendary tale of the "swamp man.". South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. Anyone with information on any of these shootings is urged to contact police by calling 864-942-8407, sending them a message through the departments Facebook page, or through the anonymous online tip form at cityofgreenwoodsc.com/departments/police/submit-an-anonymous-tip. Hawkins had been standing with friends at about 3 a.m. that morning when a drive-by shooting left him hit once with a bullet that would later kill him, according to officials. She then contacted Lori's daughter and found that she hadn't heard from Lori since 1992. Anyone with information on any of Greenwood's homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. She could find no sign of her, but they would later find Kia's bike overturned just outside of the apartment office. 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. 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. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. Immediately, investigators became convinced that the skull could have belonged to the missing Kia Logan, who had been missing from a town roughly half-an-hour away for two-and-a-half years now. Charles Wade Hampton was born on September 21st, 1952. This meant that investigators now had half-a-decade to try and work out a case against him. Upon the 1996 arrest of Charles Hampton, the string of child abductions plaguing the area of Georgia and South Carolina seemed to come to an end. In 1993, the skull was sent off to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC for DNA testing. His hair was dark blonde, which could vary anywhere between blonde and dark brown. Officers did find an air pistol at a nearby street corner, along with a car with a shot-out window. This indictment was signed by 8th Circuit Solicitor William Townes Jones - the same William Townes Jones whose daughter, Townes, was given international popularity in the Harry Styles' song "Carolina.". He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with credit for time served and good behaviour. South Carolina Department of Social Services; South Carolina Dept Health & Environmental Control; . It's a town of roughly 20,000 people - a population level that hasn't really changed in over thirty years. That's all we've got. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. While he had previously confessed to the crime, he recanted, resulting in the rape charge being dropped due to a lack of evidence. Greenwood County Sheriff Giles Daniel stated that calls were still pouring in about Kia, either potential sightings or people that may know something. Major Sam Riley was stated: "Our department, as well as SLED and FBI personnel, are still actively investigating. One man who had met the couple stated that the man, Jacques, had told him that his father was a physician in Canada. Charles Hampton agreed to give up blood and hair samples to investigators. Scary. You have permission to edit this article. Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides, By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ He had bloodstains on his clothes and was trying to tell officers something, but he didnt speak English. They had been playing basketball together when Malakia decided to go home. Investigators had been pursuing clues as far away as California, and trying to tie Kia's disappearance to other stories of missing children in the surrounding states. I'm going down today and make my donation and I challenge you, be you a parent, citizen or business, if you're really concerned about what happens to the children of the Greenwood Community, go down to any office of the County Bank and make your donation. It's a reminder of unfinished business.". On May 16, 1988, approximately 75 people, including citizen volunteers, conducted another search of the area around the apartment complex, aided by helicopters provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, also known as SLED. Subscribe Now:. And, if his father was a physician in Canada, wouldn't he have been looking for them? The author of the newspaper article noted that as she spoke about her daughter, Bernetta was clutching a photo of Kia. GREENWOOD, SC (WSPA) A rally in front of the Greenwood Courthouse brought families of nearly a half dozen murder victims together Tuesday afternoon. On September 23, 1992, Dail Dinwiddie vanished into the night as she was walking along Harden Street in Columbia, SC. In 1996, the testing of mitochondrial DNA was performed at a genetics lab in North Carolina. He had been in police custody, and when questioned, he began confessing to the crimes. "As a result of interviews we are now looking for two men and two vehicles. She loves to tackle her dreams head on and takes life by storm. Another description was vague, calling it simply an older model white compact or subcompact with blue interior. They all decided to put the money to good use, allowing education or nursing majors to receive the scholarship in times of hardship. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. 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 . At the scene, officers found a crowd of people with several gathered around a young mans body. But that optimisim would be short-lived, as weeks began to bleed into months. Another witness suggested it could have been a drive-by shooting. The lone exception was a five-year old girl with tan, olive-colored skin who had dark feaures. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. "Normally there would be a family get-together in Saluda. Earlier that morning, his mother had checked on him before leaving for work. Those with information regarding the case can contact the Greenwood County Sheriffs Office at 864-942-8600 or the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at 803-737-9000. Online"10 Books to Cozy Up With This December"PopSugar A popular sorority girl. Officers spoke to a witness who said they were near Hawkins when he was shot. 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. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. 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. It was this apartment complex where, on a Sunday evening in the middle of May, everything seemed right with the world. Coroner IDs man killed in Greenwood shooting, Greenwood police identify suspect in Taggart Avenue slaying, Father of firsts: Man's life is a walk through Black history in Greenwood, Greenwood man gets 23-year sentence in death of 18-month-old, Calhoun Falls man faces federal drug count, PTC Foundation lacing up sneakers for Spring Forward 5K, Pi Day Lecture at the Arts Center of Greenwood, EAA and AMA sponsors Build and Fly project. 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. Calling them cold cases implies theyre no longer active, but Chaudoin said the unsolved homicides in Greenwoods city limits since 2001 are still top of mind for him. 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. You will receive your first email soon. In each crime, the suspect was described as a middle-aged white man, with some kind of gray stubble on his face and a pockmarked complexion, as well as a unique tattoo on a bicep - which some of the young victims called a "dragon," and others a "snake.". Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. Not only did he have a snake tattoo on his upper arm, but he appeared eager to help investigators, giving blood and hair samples, as well as granting them permission to search his car and home. At the time of her disappearance, Reinaldo Javier "Ray" Rivera, now a convicted serial killer, was attending the University of South Carolina. Share your news tips and story ideas with us. James Paul Freund (September 16, 1946 - August 9, 1976) and Pamela Mae Buckley (December 16, 1951 - August 9, 1976), commonly known as the Sumter County Does, Jock Doe and Jane Doe respectively, [5] were two previously unidentified American murder victims found in Sumter County, South Carolina on August 9, 1976. Just like the details he provided: he knew some information about these locales, but not all of the minute details. No one knows what really happened in that short span of time. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. He had a pockmarked face with pointed features, and his hair is believed to have been brownish with sun streaks. "We're now awaiting requests from law enforcement for further assistance. I only say "likely" because I legitimately can't find any record of him online or in the press since 2007. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. It's like a depression has set in.". 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. Unidentified Remains The SLED Forensic Art Unit assists local law enforcement agencies in Unidentified Remains cases. 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. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. They are asking local law enforcement to. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Tiffany, whose case I covered in the last episode, was found in a shallow grave roughly twenty miles away from where she had gone missing. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. A clear sky. 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. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. Her father was the mayor of Saluda, a small town in South Carolina, and her mother was a teacher at a local middle school. (LogOut/ Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. 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. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Research revealed that Lori had married Nathaniel Richardson in February of 1994 and that is where the trail grows cold. Bernetta, the girls' mother, began looking around the apartment complex for eight-year old Kia. 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. There was no identification on them, but it was surmised they were traveling or 'backpacking'. Then at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Greenwood police found Ramsey sitting on the steps outside his Thornbrook Court apartment with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the head. As of publishing, there have not been any new updates in relation to Kias disappearance and murder, nor about the investigation into it. I know that we dont want to think about such things happening in our own backyard, but we must. Gunshots were heard on Pearl Street near Osborne Avenue. Her father, Richard Logan, was the mayor of a small South Carolina town named Saluda. The searches and canvass of the apartment complex continued on into Tuesday, but police wouldn't release another public statement until May 18th - Wednesday. It wasn't until the sister returned to the apartment complex half-an-hour later that anyone realized this eight-year old was missing. Dennis Beauford, the responding deputy, ended up staying the night on the couch of the Logan family, waiting for there to be any ransom calls or communication from Kia herself. The only inconsistencies in the cases were the different times and days on which the abductions occurred, as well as the fact each victim cited a different vehicle being involved. All of their friends in the apartment complex had since gone home, so Renee knew that Kia wasn't still out there. In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. However, no calls were received and the real investigation into her disappearance began. While police began a search of his home and his vehicle, he openly admitted to several things. Officers heard about 10 shots at about 2:50 a.m. May 19, 2019 from the area of Pearl Street. Police found him sitting on steps beside the sidewalk, bleeding from his head; an officer couldnt find his pulse. Rewards are being offered. 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. 13-36901 (Murder) They had suspended the searches on Tuesday afternoon, after finding nothing in the two days out there. Its not just about arresting a suspect, Chaudoin said, its about building a case the states prosecutors can get a conviction with. "Cold cases" isn't the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his department's unsolved homicides. However, this was also when he stopped cooperating with authorities and recanted all of his prior confessions. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. 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. 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. 1)The only theory in the case is that Charles Wade Hampton is the person who abducted and murder Kia. What makes the difference in some of these cases is witness cooperation. Date of Death: October 25, 2011 Location: 15 Spartanburg Court, Apt. She hopped on her bike and began riding back to her mother's apartment - a distance no greater than three-hundred yards. It took over a decade, but Kia's parents were finally given answers as to what had happened ot their daughter. Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. It was occupied by an older white male with graying hair. 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. "The murder kidnapping and criminal sexual misconduct charges have been dropped. I had dreams that maybe she's been in California or somewhere all this time.". If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The wooded area he was in, just off of Mount Pleasant Road - also known as S.C. 34 - is about four miles northeast of Newberry and thirty-five miles east of Greenwood, where Kia Logan had disappeared from. They had been shot. In an idling SUV, Sherwin Gittens was found dead by police. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. It is believed that the subjects were attempting to rob his neighbor's apartment. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. We are also following up on similar situations that occur in this area and nationwide.". He immediately provided voluntary consent for police to search his vehicle by signing a Waiver of Constitutional Rights to a Search Warrant - a provision he also signed for a search of his home. However, with DNA testing being in its infancy, it would be years before they could definitively test the skull for forensic proof. Choose wisely! The Sheriffs Office, along with other law enforcement and volunteer agencies, conducted a three week search of the area, but were unable to locate any other remains. Police spoke with about 20 people in the area, but few had anything to report. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had originally responded, was a Sergeant at this point in time for the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. Who was the man who found them? As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. What happened to little Jeremy? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Through the rest of the year, police would remain relatively silent as to where their investigation stood. Choose wisely! Sometimes officers get tips about rumors from the community, but these vague and often unsourced allegations arent enough to give police probable cause for an arrest. Richard Martin Age. 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. He voluntarily provided blood and hair samples. 8th Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace, who had replaced William Townes Jones in the preceding half-decade, had plenty to say about this decision. He was accused of intentionally drilling the holes to Peep on unwitting victims, and arrested shortly after this was discovered. Sheriff Foster continued: "We are reasonably sure, at this point, the skull was not dug from a grave." Renee and their friend decided to stay at the court for a short while longer. Dispatchers told police several men were seen running behind a residence on Sumter street and dropping guns off. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. One way is to make the amount of the reward really impressive and/or tempting. Stabbed Over the next week, the letter written by Dr. Wiggins inspired many to pledge support to the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund. ", "People are definitely keeping small children in. She said that she didn't actually see him, but his bedcovers were pulled up so she assumed that he was asleep. Peace stated that Hampton had falsely confessed to "one, maybe two murders in Georgia and one in Columbia. It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995. He would be sixty-five years old as of this episode's recording, and there's only a brief mention of him on the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's sex offender registry. Earlier in the day, they had been aided by helicopters provided by SLED - the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, a statewide police agency. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. Kias case was featured on a 1990 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Freeman died at the hospital while being treated for his injuries. Both of these generated more leads of possible sightings of Kia Logan and suspects bearing a resemblance of the composite of a man wanted for questioning. (LogOut/ As an adult, he stood about five-feet-eight-inches tall, weighing it at only 132 pounds. Throughout the beginning of the search for her daughter, Bernetta begged the kidnapper to show some mercy toward Kia. Sam Riley, who had been a Major in the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, had recently been elected Sheriff. Remember, this is before the trial of OJ Simpson, so DNA testing was very much in its infancy. It was August 9, 1976, on a deserted road in Sumter County, SC, when a trucker happened upon the scene of the murders. Police have shared that Kias abduction was a crime of opportunity, and that Hampton did not know the young girl. The crime spree began in July 1995 and carried on until August of 1996. The Newberry County Sheriff's Office, along with other law enforcement and volunteer agencies, conducted searches in the area where the skull had been found. He described not only his sex life - which included sex with both genders - but his prior criminal history. Anyone with information on any of Greenwoods homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Over the coming weeks, the leads that Sheriff Giles Daniel was excited about began to dry up, either leading to dead ends or going nowhere at all. He also had scars along his right arm and stomach, which matched up with what one of the younger victims had described. Bullets damaged the window of a residence and shot through a TV inside. It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. He had been handcuffed, bound with duct tape, and shot in the head. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. Six have gone unsolved. Welldo you really need that much sleep? Results: Unresolved. He lifted his shirt and officers saw Perez had two gunshot wounds on his right side. Hampton pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately recanted his confession, just as hed done in previous cases. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. All six victims had a similar look and profile, with all living close to the highway, and they were all sexually assaulted before being abandoned in a public area, bar one, who was not assaulted and later dropped off at a gas station, where she called for help. Theyre experiencing the most horrific thing thats probably ever happened to them in their life, Chaudoin said. Thats why its so important that we build that relationship with the community and we have that working relationship, he said. In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at Lander University, in her hometown of Greenwood, South Carolina. Major Sam Riley was quoted as saying: "These leads have carried the investigation outside of the Greenwood area.". 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. Despite their efforts, no evidence was found. The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, SuspectCharged, The Disappearances of Tina & BethanySinclair. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Greenwood, SC. An initial search of the area around the apartment complex by investigators led to the discovery of Kias bicycle, which was located in the parking lot, just outside of the apartment office. While some descriptions of this suspect varied - such as at least one of the girls calling the suspect "fat in his tummy" and the perpetrator's hair color varying - these details were all universally agreed upon. When I drove up, and looked at that bike in the parking lot, I had a gut feeling something wasn't right and I called Riley at home. Along Mount Pleasant Road also known as the S.C. 34 Highway he came across a badly decomposed human skull, which prompted him to contact the Newberry County Sheriffs Office. Homicides dont get closed. Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swa. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". It was early morning, October 2001 on Interstate 526. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. However, police and investigators have yet to find any more of Kia Logan's remains, and remain hopeful that those will turn up some day, allowing them to fully pursue a suspect or person-of-interest in the crimes.

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