unsolved murders in greenwood, scunsolved murders in greenwood, sc
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. Those early tests were inconclusive, relying on DNA found in the skull itself in very primitive ways. It was August 9, 1976, on a deserted road in Sumter County, SC, when a trucker happened upon the scene of the murders. Invalid password or account does not exist. In 1996, the testing of mitochondrial DNA was performed at a genetics lab in North Carolina. However, they were not positively identified until 1998, ten years after she vanished. No closure. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Greenwood, SC. The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund was established by Tuck Wooten, the Head of A.M. Tuck Inc. But Mr. Murdaugh, part of a prominent family of South Carolina lawyers, has denied any involvement in the unsolved killings . He'll be back on the street. On September 23, 1992, Dail Dinwiddie vanished into the night as she was walking along Harden Street in Columbia, SC. There was no identification on them, but it was surmised they were traveling or 'backpacking'. Hampton openly confessed to committing several of the abductions and willingly provided details of the accompanying assaults, with most details matching up with what the victims had provided. The case surrounding Kias disappearance was initially investigated as a simple missing persons report. 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. Low 44F. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. Through the rest of the year, police would remain relatively silent as to where their investigation stood. The Sorority Murder - Greenwood County Library System - OverDrive 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. 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. At around 8:15pm, Kia decided she wanted to return home and thus grabbed her bike and left. 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. Police found him sitting on steps beside the sidewalk, bleeding from his head; an officer couldnt find his pulse. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. However, they did say they would pursue new charges, should new evidence surface. The victim was not the intended target. Throughout the 30+ year investigation, various leads and suspects would come and go. However, this was also when he stopped cooperating with authorities and recanted all of his prior confessions. There were 14 shell casings of different makes and calibers in the area. I only say "likely" because I legitimately can't find any record of him online or in the press since 2007. Newspaper reports indicate that she was born with two holes in her heart, but she would turn out to be stronger than she knew. There was a fight among a group of teenagers and several shots were fired. Love South Carolina? Hampton was known to spend a good amount of time on this farm, and it remained on the investigator's radar for a good amount of time after this initial confession. Coffee is her best friend and a good book cannot be beat! I have to ask that if you or someone you know knows anything about any one of these cases, please contact your local police department as soon as possible. Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides, By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ "It's definitely changed the lifestyle here. Anyone with information on those cases is urged to call law enforcement. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. 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. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". However, three - which took place in the middle of this crime spree - took place on a Thursday. It was early morning, October 2001 on Interstate 526. The murder is being investigated by the Columbia Police Department. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Map Browse By State. As police tried to pinpoint the motive for Hampton's confessions, the forensic analysis they were hoping to rely on brought back an intriguing proposition. Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. Murdaugh undergoes cross-examination in his own murder trial. 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. 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. 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. The Unraveling of the Murdaugh Dynasty: Unsolved Murders - WSJ We're requesting anyone with information call our office.". "Cold cases" isn't the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his department's unsolved homicides. Rally for Greenwood unsolved murders | WSPA 7NEWS 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. You have permission to edit this article. This search continued until it was too dark, but resumed the next day. Sadly, South Carolina and other states in the United States have hundreds, if not thousands, of unsolved cases. "The murder kidnapping and criminal sexual misconduct charges have been dropped. Police interviewed a few of Paynes friends and coworkers but didnt learn much. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. They all lived in housing close to the highway in-question, and they were all abducted from one location and led to another. (LogOut/ The Greenwood County Sheriffs Office can be reached at 864-942-8632, or by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. When does she have the time, you ask? On Sunday, July 17, 1966, a brutal triple murder took three lives in Henderson County, N.C. To this day, after-effects from the grisly slayings of Vernon Shipman, Charles Glass and Louise Davis. What happened to little Jeremy? He admitted to committing three child abductions in northern Georgia and confessed to having killed a child at an out-of-state farm. The composite is the latest thing we have and we're trying to develop leads from that. Theyre experiencing the most horrific thing thats probably ever happened to them in their life, Chaudoin said. We won't share it with anyone else. You see, in 1981, he had been arrested and convicted for the rape of a sixteen-year old, telling interrogators that his seminal fluid had been used to convict him. Part of me is missing and I need to find it.". As former Sheriff Riley and current Sheriff Tony Davis stated: "members of the community supported the Logan family when in need, and now those funds will support those in need with educational opportunities.". The sketch came from the witness sightings of the second person-of-interest, who had been driving the dark mid-70's model Monte Carlo. Murdered Paul Murdaugh reportedly had more brushes with law - New York Post 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. Uncovered: Unsolved South Carolina Murders South Carolina murderers list | Murderpedia Greenwood County Sheriff Giles Daniel stated that calls were still pouring in about Kia, either potential sightings or people that may know something. The responding deputy ended up spending the night on the Logan familys couch, in case someone called with a ransom or if Kia herself somehow managed to communicate with them. Invalid password or account does not exist. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. Families were barbecuing, having picnics, and hanging out in the pool, while children were playing all around the complex. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. An unsolved murder. Login; . Homicides dont get closed. 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. Unsolved Cases - City of Columbia Police Department Unsolved Cases If you can help solve any of these crimes or think that you may know something no matter how small, please contact the Violent Crimes Against Persons Unit - VCAP at: (803)545-3525. Officers did find an air pistol at a nearby street corner, along with a car with a shot-out window. Alex Murdaugh Surrenders After Trying to Fake His Own Killing: Latest In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at Lander University, in her hometown of Greenwood, South Carolina. She had one sister, named Renee, and the three lived in an apartment complex just north of Greenwood, South Carolina. Advertisement Investigators with the Greenwood Police. As the years pass, the mystery just intensifies. That's really bad for the family. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. 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. Anyone with information on any of Greenwood's homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. 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. Detectives will re-interview witnesses and relatives of victims to try and find any new leads. Gwen is an author, artist, illustrator, graphic designer, mother, wife, and part-time super hero. 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. 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. "We're looking for a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. He lifted his shirt and officers saw Perez had two gunshot wounds on his right side. He was described as white, between the ages of 35 and 40, 58 to 59 tall and 250 pounds. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Scary. These tips carried the investigation outside the Greenwood area, with investigators pursuing leads to as far away at California. Police noted that he had a snake tattoo on his upper arm, as well as his initials - C.H. Stephen Smith Case Reopened By Same Agency Investigating Murdaugh Murders GREENWOOD, S.C. Cody Hawkins, 24, was shot and killed May 19 about 2:50 a.m. Local businesses continued by making donations to the fund. Riley, a famously tight-lipped officer, stated: "We're treating it strictly as a missing persons report. Malakia Kia Zali Logan was born on August 1, 1979 to parents Richard and Bernetta Logan. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. They are asking local law enforcement to. The author of the newspaper article noted that as she spoke about her daughter, Bernetta was clutching a photo of Kia. We dont close out these cases because theyre so important.. 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. It is believed that the subjects were attempting to rob his neighbor's apartment. Sheriff Foster continued: "We are reasonably sure, at this point, the skull was not dug from a grave." The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. 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. 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. Bernetta, the girls' mother, began looking around the apartment complex for eight-year old Kia. Unidentified Remains The SLED Forensic Art Unit assists local law enforcement agencies in Unidentified Remains cases. His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. Through interviews, police learned two or three men had come over to the house prior to the shooting. A random child abduction that went "sour" - usually a byproduct of a victim choosing to fight back, or attempting to run away. 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. Low 44F. I feel confident such an impressive reward, with the proper publicity, will help the authorities solve this mystery AND our community may well have made the solution possible. Between July 1995 and August 1996, authorities in Georgia and South Carolina were investigating a string of abductions and sexual assaults of young Black children along a specific state highway. As of publishing, there have not been any new updates in relation to Kias disappearance and murder, nor about the investigation into it. 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. While he had previously confessed to the crime, he recanted, resulting in the rape charge being dropped due to a lack of evidence. It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995. 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. It happened May 15, 1988, somewhere between the small park that was just 300 yards away from the apartment complex and her door. 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. Lawyer Shot After Wife and Son Were Killed Had Been Pushed Out of Law Kia was dead. 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. They wanted to keep their options option, should more evidence be found against him, so they didn't want him to go free and then lose any chance at a prosecutor under double jeopardy laws. Three years later, in 1996, Newberry County investigators asked a private genetics lab in North Carolina to perform mitochondrial DNA testing, using DNA obtained from Kias parents, which suggested the skull did, in fact, belong to Kia, a fact that was confirmed upon the skull being sent to the FBI lab in Washington in 1998. 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. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. Also, the Kia Reward Fund is growing and we are hopeful that this will bring someone forward with positive information. Unsolved Murdaugh Murders Expose Years of South Carolina Mysteries However, the criminal trial would never come to be. 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. 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. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. The message we should be sending far and wide is not one emphasizing our public apathy, but one which loudly reveals that the people of Greenwood County will not sit idly by while our children disappear! This not being enough, the skull would later be sent to an FBI lab in 1998. Officers heard several shots on April 6, 2013 while at the Greenwood County Detention Center, then saw two men running up from 606 Tabor St., one of whom had been shot in the arm. "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. When Hampton stopped cooperating with police and withdrew his previous statements taking credit for the 1995 and 1996 sexual assaults, police realized that they needed to build a case around evidence, not just his comments. 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.". 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. 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. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. He had a pockmarked face with pointed features, and his hair is believed to have been brownish with sun streaks. On May 15th, 1988, all seemed to be well in the world. 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 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. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with credit for time served and good behaviour. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. 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. I'm not the first to ask that question and so many more than me want to know the answer. 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 . Murders of Pamela Buckley and James Freund - Wikipedia The Murdaugh Murder Mystery Deepens in South Carolina - The New York Times He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at her hometown's Lander University. 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. You hate to have any murders, but I think a 91% solve rate is probably one of the highest ones out there, especially for a department our size and with that number of them, he said. Missing Persons my Neighborhood alarm registration File a report He was sentenced to eight years, with time already served. Rewards are being offered. One way is to make the amount of the reward really impressive and/or tempting. The families and friends of those slain deserve answers, and Chaudoin said he asks investigators to revisit these open cases every now and then. He said its unlikely that no one saw the shooter, but rather that witnesses dont feel comfortable sharing what they saw. There are just no leads or evidence to go on even though the police push every avenue they come across. They haven't made any positive identification yet. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Contact staff writer Damian Dominguez at 864-634-7548 or follow on Twitter @IJDDOMINGUEZ. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer Create a password that only you will remember. Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin said he keeps a file in his office of the departments unsolved homicide cases, to keep them fresh in his mind and revisit them when he can. Somewhere out there is someone who knows something about each one of these mysteries and it is up to us to not let them grow cold. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Call the Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch Center at 843-743-7200 and ask to speak to a Detective in the Charleston Police Department Violent Crimes Unit. At the time of her disappearance, Reinaldo Javier "Ray" Rivera, now a convicted serial killer, was attending the University of South Carolina. 8 months since shooting death of Cody Hawkins, family still - WYFF 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. 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. Between the 2002 indictment and this, he had accrued nearly five years of time served. 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. In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. Charles Hampton agreed to give up blood and hair samples to investigators. Nothing more is known On a cold and rainy Thursday morning Jeremy Grice mysteriously vanished from his North Augusta home. The County Bank is accepting and receipting donations. 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. When the skull was discovered in 1990, it proved a lone clue in a vast sea of nothingness. ", "People are definitely keeping small children in. If you know any information about this crime, you can contact the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department at (864) 942-8600. He had been previously terminated due to unexcused absences and excessive tardiness, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. Anyone with information on any of Greenwoods homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. Freeman was shot at about 10 p.m. July 15, 2018 at a Sumter Street residence. She didn't want to miss any potential calls from Kia. This would prove to be one of the only clues found during the course of the investigation. His stepfather was watching him in her absence. Despite their efforts, no evidence was found. Childrens underwear was also found and sent away for forensic testing. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. 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 had been handcuffed, bound with duct tape, and shot in the head. Three days following Hawkins slaying, police found about 40 shell casings in the area around 526 Sumter St. Numerous people called in potential sightings of Kia or of people who may know something about the case. She hopped on her bike and began riding back to her mother's apartment - a distance no greater than three-hundred yards. Police checked for fingerprints and gunshot residue, along with pulling Parkers phone records to identify who he had spoken with. No one knows what really happened in that short span of time. "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. The indictment against Charles Wade Hampton included crimes such as murder, kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. - tattooed on his right shoulder. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. Throughout the beginning of the search for her daughter, Bernetta begged the kidnapper to show some mercy toward Kia. Her older sister and friend stayed at the basketball court for a little while longer. 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. 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. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration.