And, if his father was a physician in Canada, wouldn't he have been looking for them? BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WIS) - Two men died in a shooting Friday night in Batesburg-Leesville, police confirmed. There were approximately 17,721 homicides in South Carolina between 1980 and 2019, according to the Project: Cold Case website for unsolved homicide statistics. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. Welldo you really need that much sleep? But that optimisim would be short-lived, as weeks began to bleed into months. The documentation for this case included a lead sheet filed in April 2020, where an officer detailed dozens of interviews done in this case, along with tips detectives have followed up on. 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. Charles Wade Hampton were eventually charged with Malakia's murder, but the mystery remains unsolved. 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. As time passed, approximately 13,853 of those murders were solved, leaving the state with approximately 3,868 unsolved murders in South Carolina as of the last website update. Subscribe Now:. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In 1993, the skull was sent off to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC for DNA testing. 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. 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. 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. All these cases are active. 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. On the northern outskirts of the town is the small country airport, which consists of a single elongated runway. 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. That's really bad for the family. Low 44F. According to investigators, theyd had a case against him since 2000 and hed, in fact, been a suspect since 1996. Invalid password or account does not exist. Police were able to link Hampton to a farm owned in northern Georgia, which was owned by a friend of his. Thank you! One man who had met the couple stated that the man, Jacques, had told him that his father was a physician in Canada. By this point, her family had begun to fear the worst. Most concerning, though, were torn out magazine images of children - a discovery that made investigators think that there might be more to this deviant than meets the eye. As the hunter walked along a pasture fence, he stumbled upon a small object resembling a human skull. The Murder of Malakia Logan - Stories of the Unsolved The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery offers an in-depth look at the unfolding criminal saga centered around disgraced former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh. When you get a case like, for example, in 2006 if we havent developed any suspects then I think we need to release a little more information and try to bring a little more to the board and see if we get some more probability of striking someones memory.. To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. The days in which the victims were abducted varied, with three of the crimes happening on a Saturday, a Friday, and a Monday. 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. There was a fight among a group of teenagers and several shots were fired. I had dreams that maybe she's been in California or somewhere all this time.". In the weeks since Kia had gone missing, Bernetta struggled to leave the phone for any prolonged period of time. It had been nearly five years since the original indictment was filed, accusing him of the abduction and murder of Kia Logan. A missing persons report was filed with the county, where Kia is listed as being 4'2" tall, and weighing about 60 to 70 pounds. One of the most intriguing and promising leads in this investigation came on that Wednesday night, May 18th, when a composite sketch of a potential suspect was aired on the evening news. 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.". It was not long until 52-year-old Charles Wade Hampton, a maintenance worker at the Hard Labor Creek State Park rest stop in Georgia and a former employee of the Department of Transportation, came onto police radar. Change). No one was hurt when multiple shots were fired early Saturday in the area of Piedmont Avenue and Edgefield Street. Unfortunately for them, as soon as Hampton went to jail for Peeping Tom, he stopped cooperating with investigators. Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. 24 Cause of Death. 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! They were just a few hundred or so yards from their apartment, where the sisters lived with their mother, a middle school teacher. The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, SuspectCharged, The Disappearances of Tina & BethanySinclair. However, one of the most interesting notes of this sketch came from a description, which noted that the suspect had a pockmarked face. 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. Nor am I criticizing those who have helped so far or those concerned citizens who have contributed to the present approximately $3000 reward. They're no closer today than they were back in 1988 when Kia was snatched up. But, let a Carolina or a Clemson sports event take the forefront and emotions bubble over throughout the community. That's all we've got. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. Police and prosecutors seemed certain at the time of this indictment - November 6th, 2002 - that Charles Hampton was responsible for the abduction and murder of Malakia Zali Logan. When it was finally time for Hampton to be released, he was immediately re-arrested for a warrant investigators had planned. It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. Between 1995 and 1996, the states of Georgia and South Carolina began investigating a series of sexual assaults that occurred along a specific interstate. The sun was beginning to set, and this eight-year old climbed onto her bike to head back home. 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. Her older sister and friend stayed at the basketball court for a little while longer. When the skull was discovered in 1990, it proved a lone clue in a vast sea of nothingness. On September 23, 1992, Dail Dinwiddie vanished into the night as she was walking along Harden Street in Columbia, SC. On the evening on May 15, 1988, Kia and Renee were playing basketball with a friend at the court of a nearby park, located 300 yards from their apartment complex. No closure. It saw donations come in from both residents of Greenwood and local businesses, resulting in a total of over $20,000 raised. Dispatchers told police several men were seen running behind a residence on Sumter street and dropping guns off. On this Sunday afternoon, in the middle of May, all seemed to be well. You never know if that tiny piece of information could flesh out the full puzzle. The murder is being investigated by the Columbia Police Department. 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 Unraveling of the Murdaugh Dynasty: Unsolved Murders - WSJ 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. By Thursday, May 19th, the mood in the Georgetown apartment complex had changed dramatically. Major Sam Riley was quoted as saying: "These leads have carried the investigation outside of the Greenwood area.". 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. A man and a woman (who have come to be known by Jacques and Jane) were shot three times each. They had been shot. He and. Alex Murdaugh Surrenders After Trying to Fake His Own Killing: Latest And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. She loves to tackle her dreams head on and takes life by storm. From video footage they have been able to piece together that the car was a red Oldsmobile Alero made between 1999 and 2003. They also tried to see if her disappearance was tied to other missing persons cases from surrounding states. 1)The only theory in the case is that Charles Wade Hampton is the person who abducted and murder Kia. It seems that there may be been two suspects who were trying to rob the bank. A clear sky. Given the case theyd put together, they were prepared to pursue the death penalty. Bernetta spent a few minutes searching the area around the apartment complex, but when she couldnt find her daughter, she called the Greenwood County Sheriffs Office to report her as missing. It wasn't until the sister returned to the apartment complex half-an-hour later that anyone realized this eight-year old was missing. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP . Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. Jessica, a pretty little girl with brown hair and sparkling brown eyes went to bed on June 5, 1986, along with her two sisters. It is what life is made of. When they searched his home, they found several photographs of children in underwear, as well as various photos of nude adults - including pictures of Hampton himself. Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. Pity us if we don't! They had suspended the searches on Tuesday afternoon, after finding nothing in the two days out there. Payne was shot at about 9:40 p.m. June 12 at 117 Klugh St. Officers arrived on scene with a medical bag, sealing two bullet wounds to his chest. She never came home with her sister. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. As another family started mourning Tuesday, Greenwood law enforcement had another shooting on their hands to solve. 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. "The 10 Best New Mystery and Thriller Books of December are Giving Us Literal Chills"E! At the scene, officers found a crowd of people with several gathered around a young mans body. The second man proved to be of greater interest to investigators. Peace stated that Hampton had falsely confessed to "one, maybe two murders in Georgia and one in Columbia. Throughout the 30+ year investigation, various leads and suspects would come and go. He was described as being between thirty-five and forty years old, with slender ad pointed facial features. "He'll get credit for time served and good behavior. The physical search didn't produce any leads or clues. Her father was the mayor of Saluda, a small town in South Carolina, and her mother was a teacher at a local middle school. Upon receiving Bernettas call, a bulletin was released, featuring the young girls description, which informed the countys officers that she was an African American female who stood at 42; weighed 60 to 70 pounds; and was wearing yellow shorts, a yellow-and-white polka dot shirt, and slip-on shoes. Titled "The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund," it hope to incentivize anyone with information to come forward. A lot of times what you hear law enforcement say is we dont want to give a lot of details out because the case is still pending, he said. She lived with her mother and her sister, Renee, in an apartment complex just north of the rural city of Greenwood, South Carolina. 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. Greenwood city's six unsolved homicides stay a police priority | Crime You will receive your first email soon. 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. Also, the Kia Reward Fund is growing and we are hopeful that this will bring someone forward with positive information. 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. 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. Murdered Paul Murdaugh reportedly had more brushes with law - New York Post The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery | Unsolved South Carolina on The killings also led the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to open a new inquiry into the unsolved death of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old whose body was found on a rural road in the area in . Police were called to the scene, and the skull was taken into police custody for testing. Kia was a third grade student at Merrywood Elementary School. There at that mailbox is the last place Jeremy was seen. I'm not the first to ask that question and so many more than me want to know the answer. Anyone with information on any of Greenwood's homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. When the police finally arrived they found all three of the victims in a utility room in the back of the bank. He had a pockmarked face with pointed features, and his hair is believed to have been brownish with sun streaks. 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. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. "The murder kidnapping and criminal sexual misconduct charges have been dropped. In the past 21 years the departments digital records system goes back, there were 55 murders reported to the police. You have permission to edit this article. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. At the scene, people were scrambling into cars and driving off, including someone driving Hawkins to the hospital for treatment. It had grown to a total of $20,328.68. South Carolina is loaded with history and ghostly tales of suspense. They combed around the Georgetown Apartments for most of the night, until the lack of light eventually led to them turning it around. Eventually, DNA testing would show that, while the same suspect was involved in all six abductions, Hampton was not the one who committed them. 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. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer 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. Sending it off for testing, they had to hope that they could uncover any evidence that could help lead them to the culprit. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. You may remain anonymous and possibly receive a cash reward. Anyone with information on those cases is urged to call law enforcement. It's like a depression has set in.". Unless new evidence emerges, our participation is over.". 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 . Richard Martin Age. 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 . Link said Maj. Hugh Butler, who oversees the detectives division, said officers are making progress with the evidence they have, but there is no new information detectives can release right now. 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. Cold Case Files | Greenville, SC - Official Website Will they ever find out what happened and who these two young people were? Officers heard about 10 shots at about 2:50 a.m. May 19, 2019 from the area of Pearl Street. Learn how your comment data is processed. As the years pass, the mystery just intensifies. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. He died later at the hospital. Another witness suggested it could have been a drive-by shooting. He was a former Department of Transportation employee, who lived in Clarke County, Georgia, and worked at the rest stop at Hard Labor Creek State Park as a maintenance man. cityofgreenwoodsc.com/departments/police/submit-an-anonymous-tip. Share your news tips and story ideas with us. However, the criminal trial would never come to be. Police called for EMS, but Padgett looked badly injured so officers loaded him into a patrol car to drive him to the hospital. He had been handcuffed, bound with duct tape, and shot in the head. He reported him missing at 10 a.m. that morning. Uncovered: Unsolved South Carolina Murders South Carolina's Number One Unsolved Mystery - OnlyInYourState In most cases, they were sexually assaulted before being abandoned in a public setting, but at least one of the girls wasn't she was simply abducted and then dumped off at a gas station, where she was able to call for help. 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. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Let's send the message forth: "Greenwood County folks get right upset when one of their children is criminally abused. However, with DNA testing being in its infancy, it would be years before they could definitively test the skull for forensic proof. These two men were not immediately believed to be suspects, but were wanted for questioning. Calling them cold cases implies they're no longer active, but Chaudoin. She said that she didn't actually see him, but his bedcovers were pulled up so she assumed that he was asleep. 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. 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. Investigators in Union County asking for help in 9 unsolved murder cases Greenwood County Sheriff Giles Daniel stated that calls were still pouring in about Kia, either potential sightings or people that may know something. In-between the apartment's basketball court and her front door, this little girl had disappeared. Other paranormal phenomena are also regularly reported here. ", 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.". We won't share it with anyone else. We began checking missing children cases and conducted three weeks of intensive searches for additional remains, but we didn't find anything.". 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.
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