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. 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. This was when he was transferred to a jail in Greenwood county - the same county where Kia Logan had disappeared from in 1988. 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. Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com Jun 5, 2019 Zykevious Ramsey's sister, Jada Leverette, said her brother was a. Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster told the media: "It was obvious that it was the skull of a child. I am not criticizing the authorities, who are working hard to solve the case. What makes the difference in some of these cases is witness cooperation. He had been talking with someone on a moped when a dark car came up, and two people opened fire from within. The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer He did not live here. Create a password that only you will remember. "Reading his statement, you'd think that only the person who did that would know those details. Like I said, these crimes varied by location, with some taking place in Georgia and others in South Carolina. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP . In 1996, the testing of mitochondrial DNA was performed at a genetics lab in North Carolina. While in a Georgia prison, investigators in North Carolina and Florida were looking at Hamptons potential involvement in similar abductions and assaults in their states, as the abductions stopped as soon as he was locked up. Sylvia Holtzclaw was running the bank alone on Friday, May 16, 2003, in Greer, SC. He had been in police custody, and when questioned, he began confessing to the crimes. You have permission to edit this article. As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. "It's definitely changed the lifestyle here. Renee arrived home approximately 15 to 20 minutes later and it was discovered that Kia had not returned. Given the case theyd put together, they were prepared to pursue the death penalty. 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. Police also found actual pairs of children's underwear in his laundry, which then sent in for forensic testing. They were just a few hundred or so yards from their apartment, where the sisters lived with their mother, a middle school teacher. We're scraping the bottom right now.". We began checking missing children cases and conducted three weeks of intensive searches for additional remains, but we didn't find anything.". That's all we've got. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. 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. A follow-up news article stated how employees of the local K-Mart, so moved by Wiggins' battle cry, raised $650 within an hour. This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". A clear sky. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. People were arrested in connection with this case, a report said, but witnesses recanted their statements and the suspects were released for lack of evidence. 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. Soon, children began playing outside of the Georgetown apartments once again, Kia's disappearance becoming an outlier to a safe community. Sadly, South Carolina and other states in the United States have hundreds, if not thousands, of unsolved cases. It had grown to a total of $20,328.68. Those with information regarding the case can contact the Greenwood County Sheriffs Office at 864-942-8600 or the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at 803-737-9000. "He'll get credit for time served and good behavior. It has been over a decade since there was any news or developments in the investigation, with it seeming to entering the pantheon of cold cases which will likely never be truly solved. 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. 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. Few details have been gleaned from interviews. 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. Call CrimeStoppers 843-554-1111. It's hard not to compare the crime to that of Tiffany Nelson, a nine-year old that went missing from Augusta, Georgia in June of 1994. 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 still investigating new avenues, but none of them led anywhere. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. 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. The location of the skull was four miles east of the city of Newberry and 35 miles east of Greenwood. You never know if that tiny piece of information could flesh out the full puzzle. He was described as white, between the ages of 35 and 40, 58 to 59 tall and 250 pounds. Coffee is her best friend and a good book cannot be beat! It bothers me that we seem willing to accept this obvious crime against a child without a public uproar. He reported him missing at 10 a.m. that morning. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. Perez took police to another man lying on a concrete pad behind an apartment. Officers spoke with several witnesses who described the vehicle the shooters were in, but have been unable to identify any suspects. The physical search didn't produce any leads or clues. He had been previously terminated due to unexcused absences and excessive tardiness, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. Gunshots were heard on Pearl Street near Osborne Avenue. Officers spoke to a witness who said they were near Hawkins when he was shot. 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. 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? He and. Throughout the beginning of the search for her daughter, Bernetta begged the kidnapper to show some mercy toward Kia. 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. These tips carried the investigation outside the Greenwood area, with investigators pursuing leads to as far away at California. 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. At least nine unsolved murder cases in Union County have investigators asking the public . Witnesses said they heard the shooting and one gave a description of a suspect but left before officers could question them further. They all lived in housing close to the highway in-question, and they were all abducted from one location and led to another. They sent it off for continued testing at the University of South Carolina, where a forensic anthropologist was able to tell investigators that the skull belonged "to a six-to-eight-year-old African American.". "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. 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. Stabbed 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! Murdaugh undergoes cross-examination in his own murder trial. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. 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. It wasn't until the third or fourth crime that police began to link the crimes together, when the suspect descriptions began to slowly align with one another. Earlier in the day, they had been aided by helicopters provided by SLED - the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, a statewide police agency. A Mother and Son Are Found Murdered, Deepening a Mystery in South Carolina. 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. At the time of his arrest, he was forty-four years old, and was driving a white 1986 Dodge 600. 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. His mother, who lives in New York, hasn't heard anything about the case for a long time. All of these cases are still open and being investigated when or if leads become available. He also had a blotchy, pockmarked face, made worse from poison ivy exposure the year prior. This would prove to be one of the only clues found during the course of the investigation. 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.". Sheriff Foster continued: "We are reasonably sure, at this point, the skull was not dug from a grave." Sending it off for testing, they had to hope that they could uncover any evidence that could help lead them to the culprit. We dont close out these cases because theyre so important.. Sadly, he wasn't too far off. Homicides dont get closed. He lifted his shirt and officers saw Perez had two gunshot wounds on his right side. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. She didn't want to miss any potential calls from Kia. It's a reminder of unfinished business.". 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. When it was discovered by her parents that she was gone there was no trace to follow. Who was the man who found them? His hair was dark blonde, which could vary anywhere between blonde and dark brown. I only say "likely" because I legitimately can't find any record of him online or in the press since 2007. (LogOut/ Early on in questioning, Charles admitted that he often changed his hair color. Police were later able to link him to a farm, which was owned by a friend. Charles Wade Hampton were eventually charged with Malakia's murder, but the mystery remains unsolved. Renee and their friend decided to stay at the court for a short while longer. 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. Police recovered six shell casings and spoke with witnesses who heard the shooting, but didnt see the car the shooter drove by in, according to a report. Love South Carolina? To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. 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 Greenwood County Sheriffs Office can be reached at 864-942-8632, or by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. It saw donations come in from both residents of Greenwood and local businesses, resulting in a total of over $20,000 raised. On September 23, 1992, Dail Dinwiddie vanished into the night as she was walking along Harden Street in Columbia, SC. Another witness suggested it could have been a drive-by shooting. 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. "We're looking for a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. The sun was beginning to set, and this eight-year old climbed onto her bike to head back home. 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. Unfortunately, this didn't seem remiss and then in 2007, her mother passed away and that is where the story begins. Peace stated that Hampton had falsely confessed to "one, maybe two murders in Georgia and one in Columbia. 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.". We're requesting anyone with information call our office.". Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. Theyre experiencing the most horrific thing thats probably ever happened to them in their life, Chaudoin said. More than 20 shell casings of three different calibers were found in the road, along with a .45-caliber handgun in a mulch pile near where Hawkins was shot. 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. James Paul Freund (September 16, 1946 - August 9, 1976) and Pamela Mae Buckley (December 16, 1951 - August 9, 1976), commonly known as the Sumter County Does, Jock Doe and Jane Doe respectively, [5] were two previously unidentified American murder victims found in Sumter County, South Carolina on August 9, 1976. A bouncer remembers talking to her around 1:30 a.m. before she walked out of the club. Freeman died at the hospital while being treated for his injuries. The sunny atmosphere from just a few days prior had evaporated. Eventually, DNA testing would show that, while the same suspect was involved in all six abductions, Hampton was not the one who committed them. Carolyn Kelley, the apartment/property manager that lived in the apartments with her daughter and granddaughter, had noticed a complete overhaul of the environment. ", Riley, of course, was Major Sam Riley of the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. With the searches beginning to run dry, a reward fund for information was established by Tuck Wooten, the head of the A.M. Tuck Inc. concrete company. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. They all decided to put the money to good use, allowing education or nursing majors to receive the scholarship in times of hardship. The witnesses had described his hair as having a light glow to it, but they couldn't definitively see it. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. They're going to search for other skeletal remains in identification.". Unfortunately, the searches came up with no sign of Kia, or any clue as to what had happened to her. He died later at the hospital. Jessica, a pretty little girl with brown hair and sparkling brown eyes went to bed on June 5, 1986, along with her two sisters. He recognized one of the men but wasnt able to give police a description before EMS staff arrived to treat him. As the years pass, the mystery just intensifies.