A bouncer remembers talking to her around 1:30 a.m. before she walked out of the club. You can also contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000. He had been talking with someone on a moped when a dark car came up, and two people opened fire from within. "Cold cases" isn't the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his department's unsolved homicides. 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. In the past 21 years the departments digital records system goes back, there were 55 murders reported to the police. 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. 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.". Greenwood's law enforcement now working 4 unsolved homicides, By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. They're going to search for other skeletal remains in identification.". You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. 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. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. 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. At the time of his arrest, he was forty-four years old, and was driving a white 1986 Dodge 600. Login; . When it was finally time for Hampton to be released, he was immediately re-arrested for a warrant investigators had planned. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. Between the 2002 indictment and this, he had accrued nearly five years of time served. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. 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. 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. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. The next day, a retired pediatrician named Casper E. Wiggins wrote a heartfelt editorial in the Index Journal, which read as follows: " A child is missing, and apart from the few days immediately after her kidnapping, the public outcry has been next to nothing. At the scene, officers found a crowd of people with several gathered around a young mans body. 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. 1)The only theory in the case is that Charles Wade Hampton is the person who abducted and murder Kia. Despite the charges being dropped in relation to Kias murder, Hampton was convicted on obstruction of justice in relation to the Richland County case and his alleged false confessions. Complete the Cold Case Tip Form (PDF). Police would find out what happened to this little girl over the years, but it would take time, advancements in DNA technology, and the persistence of dedicated investigators. It seems that there may be been two suspects who were trying to rob the bank. 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. One way is to make the amount of the reward really impressive and/or tempting. Sadly, South Carolina and other states in the United States have hundreds, if not thousands, of unsolved cases. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Police interviewed a few of Paynes friends and coworkers but didnt learn much. He was described as being between thirty-five and forty years old, with slender ad pointed facial features. This was when he was transferred to a jail in Greenwood county - the same county where Kia Logan had disappeared from in 1988. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. While they were not considered suspects, investigators did want to question them. 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. Police noted that he had a snake tattoo on his upper arm, as well as his initials - C.H. At around 8:15pm, Kia decided she wanted to return home and thus grabbed her bike and left. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. On June 22, 2007, the prosecutor announced that the charges against Hampton would be dropped, citing a lack of evidence to corroborate his prior confession. Three days following Hawkins slaying, police found about 40 shell casings in the area around 526 Sumter St. South Carolina is loaded with history and ghostly tales of suspense. All of their friends in the apartment complex had since gone home, so Renee knew that Kia wasn't still out there. It took over a decade, but Kia's parents were finally given answers as to what had happened ot their daughter. 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. The physical search didn't produce any leads or clues. 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. A forensic anthropologist with the University of South Carolina examined the skull and found it belonged to an African American child between the ages of 6 and 8. 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. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". Newspaper reports indicate that she was born with two holes in her heart, but she would turn out to be stronger than she knew. 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. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. It hasn't been updated with any of his current information. Police spoke with about 20 people in the area, but few had anything to report. 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.. 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. Those early tests were inconclusive, relying on DNA found in the skull itself in very primitive ways. We began checking missing children cases and conducted three weeks of intensive searches for additional remains, but we didn't find anything.". Scary. 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. 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. According to investigators, theyd managed to uncover strong evidence linking Hampton to Kias murder, including a version of events that included details only someone involved would know, which was enough for a Greenwood County grand jury to indict him on the charges. The DNA testing from the six sexual assaults linked them together, indicating that a single suspect was behind each of the crimes - however, none of those samples matched up with Hampton himself. 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. Cold cases isnt the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his departments unsolved homicides. Advertisement Investigators with the Greenwood Police. 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. On this Sunday afternoon, in the middle of May, all seemed to be well. He was described as white, between the ages of 35 and 40, 58 to 59 tall and 250 pounds. Homicides dont get closed. 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. ", Riley, of course, was Major Sam Riley of the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office. 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. Investigators with the S.C. Highway Patrol ( SCHP . "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. He and. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. Love South Carolina? 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. 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. 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. Earlier in the day, they had been aided by helicopters provided by SLED - the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, a statewide police agency. Freeman was shot at about 10 p.m. July 15, 2018 at a Sumter Street residence. Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. 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. Through interviews, police learned two or three men had come over to the house prior to the shooting. ", "People are definitely keeping small children in. Not only were Georgia and South Carolina preparing cases against him, but North Carolina and Florida were investigating him for similar child abductions and sexual assaults in their states. Contact staff writer Damian Dominguez at 864-634-7548 or follow on twitter @IJDDOMINGUEZ. It had been nearly five years since the original indictment was filed, accusing him of the abduction and murder of Kia Logan. In the weeks since Kia had gone missing, Bernetta struggled to leave the phone for any prolonged period of time. Name. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. 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. How can we send such a message? The mid 1980's was the last contact Lori had with her family. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. DNA testing confirmed her identity. There were six victims in total, all of whom - save for one - were young black girls between the ages of five and nine. There is nothing left to tell about this case unfortunately. Subscribe Now:. She was a small girl, who had been wearing yellow shorts, a yellow-and-white polka-dot shirt, and slip-on shoes on the evening she disappeared. 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. "Reading his statement, you'd think that only the person who did that would know those details. The searches and canvass of the apartment complex continued on into Tuesday, but police wouldn't release another public statement until May 18th - Wednesday. ddominguez@indexjournal.com. That's really bad for the family. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. He did not live here. [6] To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. 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. Renee and their friend decided to stay at the court for a short while longer. It was this apartment complex where, on a Sunday evening in the middle of May, everything seemed right with the world. As of this episode's recording, the abduction and murder of Malakia Zali Logan remains unresolved. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. This Is The Number One Unsolved Mystery In South Carolina And It Will Leave You Baffled. Who was the man who found them? This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". Will they ever find out what happened and who these two young people were? You never know if that tiny piece of information could flesh out the full puzzle. It was occupied by an older white male with graying hair. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. 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.". 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. But we can't prove it. Unfortunately for them, as soon as Hampton went to jail for Peeping Tom, he stopped cooperating with investigators. South Carolina Department of Social Services; South Carolina Dept Health & Environmental Control; . Unfortunately, this didn't seem remiss and then in 2007, her mother passed away and that is where the story begins. Police were called to the scene, and the skull was taken into police custody for testing. 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. Gwen is an author, artist, illustrator, graphic designer, mother, wife, and part-time super hero. He also had scars along his right arm and stomach, which matched up with what one of the younger victims had described. 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. 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. 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.". Remember, this is before the trial of OJ Simpson, so DNA testing was very much in its infancy. It is what life is made of. GREENWOOD, SC (WSPA) A rally in front of the Greenwood Courthouse brought families of nearly a half dozen murder victims together Tuesday afternoon. 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.". 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. Research revealed that Lori had married Nathaniel Richardson in February of 1994 and that is where the trail grows cold. Missing Persons my Neighborhood alarm registration File a report 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. Two months into the investigation, at least one thing was crystal clear: Kia Logan may have been missing, but she most certainly wasn't going to be forgotten. Riley, a famously tight-lipped officer, stated: "We're treating it strictly as a missing persons report. 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. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. Bernetta, the girls' mother, began looking around the apartment complex for eight-year old Kia. Anyone with information on those cases is urged to call law enforcement. ", 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.". 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. 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. Tipsters can also reach out on Facebook, or submit a tip anonymously online at bit.ly/3zN6rM2. When her sister, Renee, went home approximately twenty to thirty minutes later, she was surprised to find out that Kia had not yet returned. Unidentified Remains The SLED Forensic Art Unit assists local law enforcement agencies in Unidentified Remains cases. 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. And of course, we have our legendary tale of the "swamp man.". As of publishing, there have not been any new updates in relation to Kias disappearance and murder, nor about the investigation into it. His stepfather was watching him in her absence. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Greenwood is 1,836 to 1. Welldo you really need that much sleep? At least four of the six could easily be solved if someone would step up and give us better info because they know.. They had been playing basketball together when Malakia decided to go home. Choose wisely! They had held out hope that someone had abducted her for ransom, or perhaps - just perhaps - she actually had run away. As another family started mourning Tuesday, Greenwood law enforcement had another shooting on their hands to solve. 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The author of the newspaper article noted that as she spoke about her daughter, Bernetta was clutching a photo of Kia. We're scraping the bottom right now.". Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. 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. They had reason to believe that Hampton had been responsible for some truly terrible crimes, but they had no prove any of them. 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)