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 . However, Kia lived with her mother, Bernetta Logan Baylor, who was a teacher at a nearby middle school. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Greenwood, SC. Kias case was featured on a 1990 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Kia was dead. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. He described not only his sex life - which included sex with both genders - but his prior criminal history. It is what life is made of. Unidentified Remains The SLED Forensic Art Unit assists local law enforcement agencies in Unidentified Remains cases. I am criticizing the rest of us who thrive in our community yet appear apathetic. 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. I know that we dont want to think about such things happening in our own backyard, but we must. The sunny atmosphere from just a few days prior had evaporated. "The murder kidnapping and criminal sexual misconduct charges have been dropped. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. Police called for EMS, but Padgett looked badly injured so officers loaded him into a patrol car to drive him to the hospital. 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. 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. Another witness described seeing a vehicle pull behind a nearby church and turn its lights off, then speed past heading south. 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. And of course, we have our legendary tale of the "swamp man.". Pity us if we don't! On September 23, 1992, Dail Dinwiddie vanished into the night as she was walking along Harden Street in Columbia, SC. This meant that police were pretty confident that the skull had been intentionally left there. His ex-wife and girlfriend agreed on that - they often helped him dye it, during time periods that turned out to correlate with the 1995 and 1996 sexual assaults. Cold cases isnt the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his departments unsolved homicides. He was more than willing to continue talking, even answering questions about his prior sexual assault conviction from 1981. By Thursday, May 19th, the mood in the Georgetown apartment complex had changed dramatically. 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. However, three - which took place in the middle of this crime spree - took place on a Thursday. There is nothing left to tell about this case unfortunately. 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. Results: Unresolved. 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. About two weeks earlier, Cody Hawkins was shot in an apparent drive-by shooting May 19 on Pearl Street, close to Osborne Avenue. Contact staff writer Damian Dominguez at 864-634-7548 or follow on Twitter @IJDDOMINGUEZ. 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. 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. After this discovery, interrogators circled back around to Hampton. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. This would prove to be one of the only clues found during the course of the investigation. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had responded to the incident and originally stayed the night, continued to feel a personal connection to the story. They were both prepared to pursue the death penalty in the upcoming criminal trial, which they were allowed to for any kidnapping or sexual assault charges when the victim was eleven years old or younger. 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. Low 44F. Map Browse By State. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your 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. The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is lower than the state average. ", "People are definitely keeping small children in. In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. He'll be back on the street. Malakia's bike was found near the apartment office. To this day, the case remains open and unsolved. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. Many of these details matched up with what police had heard from the victims themselves - but others did not. Share your news tips and story ideas with us. Officers spoke with several witnesses who described the vehicle the shooters were in, but have been unable to identify any suspects. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. It's like a depression has set in.". OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Police were called to the scene, and the skull was taken into police custody for testing. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. GREENWOOD, S.C. Cody Hawkins, 24, was shot and killed May 19 about 2:50 a.m. What happened to little Jeremy? "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. Kia was a third grade student at Merrywood Elementary School. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. He reported him missing at 10 a.m. that morning. 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. They had held out hope that someone had abducted her for ransom, or perhaps - just perhaps - she actually had run away. The families and friends of those slain deserve answers, and Chaudoin said he asks investigators to revisit these open cases every now and then. Riley, a famously tight-lipped officer, stated: "We're treating it strictly as a missing persons report. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. A bouncer remembers talking to her around 1:30 a.m. before she walked out of the club. 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. When asked about the rash of sexual assaults against children, he suspiciously stated that the person responsible "would know how not to get caught," at least this time. "Reading his statement, you'd think that only the person who did that would know those details. Despite their efforts, no evidence was found. The murder is being investigated by the Columbia Police Department. No closure. Local businesses continued by making donations to the fund. Dennis Beauford, the deputy who had originally responded, was a Sergeant at this point in time for the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. Witnesses told officers they saw two men running from Pearl Street onto Osborne Avenue. Who was the man who found them? 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. You may remain anonymous and possibly receive a cash reward. He was accused of intentionally drilling the holes to Peep on unwitting victims, and arrested shortly after this was discovered. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. 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. She never came home with her sister. 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. Zykevious Ramsey, 22, was shot early Tuesday morning on the steps of his apartment and later died while at the hospital. I criticize us for not raising such an uproar it would be heard across this nation .. Hampton pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately recanted his confession, just as hed done in previous cases. It is the yin and yang; balance in all things. At around the time these sexual assaults came to an end, in the summer of 1996, police began to eye a specific sexual deviant as a potential suspect. Even though you cant say I understand what youre going through, because I have not lost a child, you have to just be with them, answer the questions they have and be available to them when they need to talk and reach out to you.. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. 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. Winds light and variable. However, this was also when he stopped cooperating with authorities and recanted all of his prior confessions. [6] 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. When does she have the time, you ask? 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. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. 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.. "Cold cases" isn't the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his department's unsolved homicides. At around 8:15pm, Kia decided she wanted to return home and thus grabbed her bike and left. He recognized one of the men but wasnt able to give police a description before EMS staff arrived to treat him. Few details have been gleaned from interviews. 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! I think it's important to note this, not because I definitively believe him to be the person responsible for Kia Logan's abduction or murder. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. It was August 9, 1976, on a deserted road in Sumter County, SC, when a trucker happened upon the scene of the murders. 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. All of these cases are still open and being investigated when or if leads become available. 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. During the investigation, police drove him around to many of the abduction sites, and while he was able to share some information, he didnt know any of the minute details the actual perpetrator would, leading them to believe he was making up his confessions. It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995. This not being enough, the skull would later be sent to an FBI lab in 1998. Needless to say, Charles Hampton was now on their radar. Charles Hampton agreed to give up blood and hair samples to investigators. Unsolved Murdaugh Murders Expose Years of South Carolina Mysteries Alex Murdaugh, the powerful lawyer who asked a handyman to kill him, had a spectacular fall from grace. Major Sam Riley was stated: "Our department, as well as SLED and FBI personnel, are still actively investigating. But, rather, because he has said some very damning things about himself and committed some criminal acts, none of which would paint him as a flattering neighbor. If they wanted to try him for any of those crimes, they needed a more definitive smoking gun. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Winds light and variable. Invalid password or account does not exist. Upon being let out of prison, he was immediately re-arrested for the 1995 abduction and rape of a 7-year-old victim from Richland County, South Carolina. 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. But Mr. Murdaugh, part of a prominent family of South Carolina lawyers, has denied any involvement in the unsolved killings . However, by the time the skull was forensically proven as belonging to Kia Logan, they had come across a suspect they believed was not only responsible for Kia's death, but an assortment of various sexual assaults and crimes against children. Bullets damaged the window of a residence and shot through a TV inside. ", 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.". Unless new evidence emerges, our participation is over.". 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. 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. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with credit for time served and good behaviour. 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. Police were beginning to become certain that Hampton had simply been lying to them in order to obtain special privileges: such as trips outside of jail, meals, coffee, and cigarettes. Freeman died at the hospital while being treated for his injuries. Thats why its so important that we build that relationship with the community and we have that working relationship, he said. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. Low 44F. At the time of her disappearance, Reinaldo Javier "Ray" Rivera, now a convicted serial killer, was attending the University of South Carolina. Research revealed that Lori had married Nathaniel Richardson in February of 1994 and that is where the trail grows cold. The results were testing alongside DNA taken from Kia's parents, Bernetta and Richard, and this time, it proved consistent. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. There were six victims in total, all of whom - save for one - were young black girls between the ages of five and nine. She could find no sign of her, but they would later find Kia's bike overturned just outside of the apartment office. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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. Her body was found seven days after the crash. Date of Death: October 25, 2011 Location: 15 Spartanburg Court, Apt. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". Just a couple of blocks from this airport are a number of apartment complexes - all of which are a few miles out from downtown Greenwood. 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. 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. However, they did say they would pursue new charges, should new evidence surface. But that optimisim would be short-lived, as weeks began to bleed into months. Malakia Zali Logan, most commonly called by her nickname, Kia, was born on August 1st, 1979. 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. "We're now awaiting requests from law enforcement for further assistance. 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.". Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. In fact, police noted that he might have been a little TOO eager at times. Dennis Beauford, one of the first deputies to arrive at the scene, stated: "It was a pretty Sunday afternoon. Complete the Cold Case Tip Form (PDF). It was early morning, October 2001 on Interstate 526. Login; . Sylvia Holtzclaw was running the bank alone on Friday, May 16, 2003, in Greer, SC. There were approximately 17,721 homicides in South Carolina between 1980 and 2019, according to the Project: Cold Case website for unsolved homicide statistics. In the afternoons you see small children running and playing, riding skateboards, that kind of thing. Witnesses said they heard the shooting and one gave a description of a suspect but left before officers could question them further. Soon, children began playing outside of the Georgetown apartments once again, Kia's disappearance becoming an outlier to a safe community.
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