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. However, three - which took place in the middle of this crime spree - took place on a Thursday. 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. Scary. 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. When it was discovered by her parents that she was gone there was no trace to follow. In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at Lander University, in her hometown of Greenwood, South Carolina. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had originally responded, was a Sergeant at this point in time for the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. He also had scars along his right arm and stomach, which matched up with what one of the younger victims had described. Another witness described seeing a vehicle pull behind a nearby church and turn its lights off, then speed past heading south. It is believed that the subjects were attempting to rob his neighbor's apartment. Malakia's bike was found near the apartment office. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. Also, the Kia Reward Fund is growing and we are hopeful that this will bring someone forward with positive information. 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. On May 30th, over two weeks after Kia had disappeared, investigators were still optimistic. 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. We're requesting anyone with information call our office.". Carolyn Kelley, the apartment/property manager that lived in the apartments with her daughter and granddaughter, had noticed a complete overhaul of the environment. 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. Just like the day of the week, the timing changed, as well: some victims were abducted as early as 12:45 in the afternoon, while others were abducted as the sun began to set: seven or eight o'clock at night. 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? Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. ", Riley, of course, was Major Sam Riley of the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. Rewards are being offered. She had one sister, named Renee, and the three lived in an apartment complex just north of Greenwood, South Carolina. At the scene, officers found a crowd of people with several gathered around a young mans body. His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. Part of me is missing and I need to find it.". But Mr. Murdaugh, part of a prominent family of South Carolina lawyers, has denied any involvement in the unsolved killings . 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. 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 . 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. GREENWOOD, S.C. Cody Hawkins, 24, was shot and killed May 19 about 2:50 a.m. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. A bouncer remembers talking to her around 1:30 a.m. before she walked out of the club. They all decided to put the money to good use, allowing education or nursing majors to receive the scholarship in times of hardship. You will receive your first email soon. (LogOut/ Let's send the message forth: "Greenwood County folks get right upset when one of their children is criminally abused. On July 4th, the Greenwood-area newspaper, the Index Journal, ran a story detailing Kia's mom, Bernetta Logan, as she struggled with the disappearance of her youngest daughter. Date of Death: October 25, 2011 Location: 15 Spartanburg Court, Apt. When does she have the time, you ask? These two men were not immediately believed to be suspects, but were wanted for questioning. 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 . 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. Kia was a third grade student at Merrywood Elementary School. On October 1, 1990, a deer hunter was walking along a pasture in a wooded area on US Forest Service Property in Newberry County, South Carolina. CID Email Anonymous Tip Submission Crime Stoppers. When the skull was discovered in 1990, it proved a lone clue in a vast sea of nothingness. Cold cases isnt the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his departments unsolved homicides. Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. The County Bank is accepting and receipting donations. 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.". (LogOut/ 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. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. The Murdaugh Murders, Money & Mystery offers an in-depth look at the unfolding criminal saga centered around disgraced former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh. In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. 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 . Anyone with information on any of Greenwood's homicides is asked to call law enforcement at 911, or police detectives at 864-942-8407. 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. It was August 9, 1976, on a deserted road in Sumter County, SC, when a trucker happened upon the scene of the murders. Name. He reported him missing at 10 a.m. that morning. Police were called to the scene, and the skull was taken into police custody for testing. They had reason to believe that Hampton had been responsible for some truly terrible crimes, but they had no prove any of them. 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. The Greenwood County Sheriffs Office is working to solve the case of 18-year-old Tadarrius Robinson, who was found fatally shot on July 25, 2018 at 103 Wheatfield Drive. Freeman was shot at about 10 p.m. July 15, 2018 at a Sumter Street residence. 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. Hampton confessed to committing three child abductions in a northern Georgia town, and even confessed to killing a child out on a farm. Renee arrived home approximately 15 to 20 minutes later and it was discovered that Kia had not returned. 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. They all lived in housing close to the highway in-question, and they were all abducted from one location and led to another. That's all we've got. At least nine unsolved murder cases in Union County have investigators asking the public . Like I said, these crimes varied by location, with some taking place in Georgia and others in South Carolina. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Online"10 Books to Cozy Up With This December"PopSugar A popular sorority girl. 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. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. 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.". It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. All of these cases are still open and being investigated when or if leads become available. 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. There were approximately 17,721 homicides in South Carolina between 1980 and 2019, according to the Project: Cold Case website for unsolved homicide statistics. However, with DNA testing being in its infancy, it would be years before they could definitively test the skull for forensic proof. 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. Sadly, if we forget then so do others and no one should be forgotten. As another family started mourning Tuesday, Greenwood law enforcement had another shooting on their hands to solve. They learned about how he constantly changed his hair color, and had driven a number of cars over the last few years: some of which included a 1977 maroon Dodge Aspen, a 1965 Chevy Bel Air, and a bronze-colored Chrysler. I criticize us for not raising such an uproar it would be heard across this nation .. 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. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had responded to the incident and originally stayed the night, continued to feel a personal connection to the story. No one wants to think that there is evil that walks among us; an evil that stalks the dark and steals the light. We won't share it with anyone else. Police found him sitting on steps beside the sidewalk, bleeding from his head; an officer couldnt find his pulse. You have permission to edit this article. 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.". Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. Hampton had been sitting in a Georgia prison at the time, and if South Carolina prosecutors tried the case at that time, they would be forced to bring Hampton to trial within 180 days. As the years pass, the mystery just intensifies. Unless new evidence emerges, our participation is over.". She hopped on her bike and began riding back to her mother's apartment - a distance no greater than three-hundred yards. 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 . An unsolved murder. Winds light and variable. 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. A Mother and Son Are Found Murdered, Deepening a Mystery in South Carolina. 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. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. This search continued until it was too dark, but resumed the next day. It is the yin and yang; balance in all things. We won't share it with anyone else. Sam Riley, who had been a Major in the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, had recently been elected Sheriff. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. Sadly, he wasn't too far off. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Greenwood, SC. Malakia Logan Unresolved Malakia Logan Two years before the disappearance of the Millbrook Twins, and six years before Tiffany Nelson went missing, another African American girl went missing about an hour north - in a small town called Greenwood, South Carolina. Parker told police he heard a knock at the front door and opened it, then was shot by one of the two men there. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. Video from the area showed a car with someone hanging out of the back passenger window and firing. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Charles Hampton agreed to give up blood and hair samples to investigators. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. This meant that investigators now had half-a-decade to try and work out a case against him. 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 . It happened May 15, 1988, somewhere between the small park that was just 300 yards away from the apartment complex and her door. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. The authorities are opening a new investigation into an unsolved 2015 death as a result of information gleaned after two . Eventually, DNA testing would show that, while the same suspect was involved in all six abductions, Hampton was not the one who committed them. How can we send such a message? Needless to say, Charles Hampton was now on their radar. By this point, her family had begun to fear the worst. Chaudoin provided the investigative reports detailing these open homicide investigations: A 911 caller found Parker lying on his bedroom floor at about 8:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2006 on Leonard Street. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. 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. 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. 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. Another witness suggested it could have been a drive-by shooting. He had bloodstains on his clothes and was trying to tell officers something, but he didnt speak English. 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. 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. Major Sam Riley was quoted as saying: "These leads have carried the investigation outside of the Greenwood area.". 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 police work to find the people responsible for killing Hawkins and Ramsey, they are also still investigating the July 15, 2018 shooting death of Quatavious Freeman. This would come up later in the story, so please keep that in-mind. As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. Zykevious Ramsey, 22, was shot early Tuesday morning on the steps of his apartment and later died while at the hospital. Neighbors cameras didnt offer much, but one witness said he saw a black sedan leave speeding from the area. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. He said its unlikely that no one saw the shooter, but rather that witnesses dont feel comfortable sharing what they saw. 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. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. By Thursday, May 19th, the mood in the Georgetown apartment complex had changed dramatically. At least four of the six could easily be solved if someone would step up and give us better info because they know.. Her picture appeared on ADVO cards in August and the story was recently on television. They combed around the Georgetown Apartments for most of the night, until the lack of light eventually led to them turning it around. 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. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. He had been handcuffed, bound with duct tape, and shot in the head. The felony, which carried a potential ten year sentence, was handed down shortly after his plea. But, let a Carolina or a Clemson sports event take the forefront and emotions bubble over throughout the community. In an idling SUV, Sherwin Gittens was found dead by police. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. A clear sky. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. Trending pages Kari Lynn Nixon Dana Satterfield Superbike Motorsports Murders Jessica Gutierrez Michele Whitaker This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. 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. Remember, this is before the trial of OJ Simpson, so DNA testing was very much in its infancy. When it was finally time for Hampton to be released, he was immediately re-arrested for a warrant investigators had planned. 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. 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. Winds light and variable. BATESBURG-LEESVILLE, S.C. (WIS) - Two men died in a shooting Friday night in Batesburg-Leesville, police confirmed. James and Margaret Barnes walked into the bank together just after 1 p.m. and at 1:30 p.m. the panic button had been pushed. Pity us if we don't! The Greenwood County Sheriffs Office can be reached at 864-942-8632, or by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. "We're now awaiting requests from law enforcement for further assistance. Over the next week, the letter written by Dr. Wiggins inspired many to pledge support to the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund. Crime in Greenwood, South Carolina (SC): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map All Cities South Carolina, South Carolina smaller cities, South Carolina small towns Greenwood main page US Crime Crime rate in Greenwood, South Carolina (SC) You may remain anonymous and possibly receive a cash reward. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. Get more stories delivered right to your email. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.