It was early morning, October 2001 on Interstate 526. 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. Trending pages Kari Lynn Nixon Dana Satterfield Superbike Motorsports Murders Jessica Gutierrez Michele Whitaker Upon the 1996 arrest of Charles Hampton, the string of child abductions plaguing the area of Georgia and South Carolina seemed to come to an end. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Greenwood is 1,836 to 1. 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. The days in which the victims were abducted varied, with three of the crimes happening on a Saturday, a Friday, and a Monday. He had been previously terminated due to unexcused absences and excessive tardiness, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. Bullets damaged the window of a residence and shot through a TV inside. Sadly, South Carolina and other states in the United States have hundreds, if not thousands, of unsolved cases. Calling them cold cases implies they're no longer active, but Chaudoin. Police have deduced that she was killed Greenwood County and her body dumped in Newberry County. Between July 1995 and August 1996, authorities in Georgia and South Carolina were investigating a string of abductions and sexual assaults of young Black children along a specific state highway. Childrens underwear was also found and sent away for forensic testing. Malakia's bike was found near the apartment office. It is the yin and yang; balance in all things. Remember, this is before the trial of OJ Simpson, so DNA testing was very much in its infancy. Eventually, DNA testing would show that, while the same suspect was involved in all six abductions, Hampton was not the one who committed them. Unfortunately for them, as soon as Hampton went to jail for Peeping Tom, he stopped cooperating with investigators. On October 1st, 1990 - a Monday - a hunter was in an area just outside of Newberry, South Carolina. cityofgreenwoodsc.com/departments/police/submit-an-anonymous-tip. Hampton pleaded not guilty to the charges and immediately recanted his confession, just as hed done in previous cases. The crime spree began in July 1995 and carried on until August of 1996. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. It was occupied by an older white male with graying hair. This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. 1)The only theory in the case is that Charles Wade Hampton is the person who abducted and murder Kia. As an adult, he stood about five-feet-eight-inches tall, weighing it at only 132 pounds. 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. Gunshots were heard on Pearl Street near Osborne Avenue. 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. Between 1995 and 1996, the states of Georgia and South Carolina began investigating a series of sexual assaults that occurred along a specific interstate. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. Officers did find an air pistol at a nearby street corner, along with a car with a shot-out window. He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. She then contacted Lori's daughter and found that she hadn't heard from Lori since 1992. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. But we can't prove it. The victim was not the intended target. 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. It had grown to a total of $20,328.68. While police began a search of his home and his vehicle, he openly admitted to several things. 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. It happened around 9:15 p.m. at a home. He was described as white, between the ages of 35 and 40, 58 to 59 tall and 250 pounds. Name. So, he'll be back on the street. Thank you! GREENWOOD, S.C. Cody Hawkins, 24, was shot and killed May 19 about 2:50 a.m. Over the next week, the letter written by Dr. Wiggins inspired many to pledge support to the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. He also had scars along his right arm and stomach, which matched up with what one of the younger victims had described. On Sunday, July 17, 1966, a brutal triple murder took three lives in Henderson County, N.C. To this day, after-effects from the grisly slayings of Vernon Shipman, Charles Glass and Louise Davis. Throughout the beginning of the search for her daughter, Bernetta begged the kidnapper to show some mercy toward Kia. 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. Cold cases isnt the term Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin likes to use for his departments unsolved homicides. Video from the area showed a car with someone hanging out of the back passenger window and firing. Officers heard several shots on April 6, 2013 while at the Greenwood County Detention Center, then saw two men running up from 606 Tabor St., one of whom had been shot in the arm. Immediately, investigators became convinced that the skull could have belonged to the missing Kia Logan, who had been missing from a town roughly half-an-hour away for two-and-a-half years now. Nor am I criticizing those who have helped so far or those concerned citizens who have contributed to the present approximately $3000 reward. Welldo you really need that much sleep? Create a password that only you will remember. "Normally there would be a family get-together in Saluda. 1-888-CRIME SC (1-888-274-6372) 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. Results: Unresolved. It just stops as if she evaporated into the hot southern air of South Carolina. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Use at your own risk. He had a pockmarked face with pointed features, and his hair is believed to have been brownish with sun streaks. Low 44F. Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a charge of boating under the influence causing death in the crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. He openly confessed to committing several of the child abductions, providing explicit details of the subsequent sexual assaults. Just like the details he provided: he knew some information about these locales, but not all of the minute details. After 11'000 days, 30 years and 29 of those years on death row, Edward Lee Elmore was freed in 2012. 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. [6] We couldn't prove this case.". Missing Persons my Neighborhood alarm registration File a report The families and friends of those slain deserve answers, and Chaudoin said he asks investigators to revisit these open cases every now and then. Stabbed 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. 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. There are just no leads or evidence to go on even though the police push every avenue they come across. She could find no sign of her, but they would later find Kia's bike overturned just outside of the apartment office. 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. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. DNA testing confirmed her identity. South Carolina's unsolved mysteries Greenville, SC 29601 62 Light Rain 90% MORE No Alerts & Closings in Your Area Sign Up to Get Future Alerts 1 / 2 Advertisement TOP PICKS South. Titled "The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund," it hope to incentivize anyone with information to come forward. The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund was established by Tuck Wooten, the Head of A.M. Tuck Inc. With these two most recent homicides, the number of unsolved slayings in recent years for Greenwood County climbs to four. Will they ever find out what happened and who these two young people were? 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. She didn't want to miss any potential calls from Kia. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. As of publishing, there have not been any new updates in relation to Kias disappearance and murder, nor about the investigation into it. His hair was dark blonde, which could vary anywhere between blonde and dark brown. 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.". It is believed that the subjects were attempting to rob his neighbor's apartment. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. Get more stories delivered right to your email. I only say "likely" because I legitimately can't find any record of him online or in the press since 2007. 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. 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. Detectives will re-interview witnesses and relatives of victims to try and find any new leads. Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. Sam Riley, who had been a Major in the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, had recently been elected Sheriff.