When they continued their rounds of questioning, Hampton was eager to talk. Sadly, if we forget then so do others and no one should be forgotten. 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.". [6] 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. 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. Zykevious Ramsey, 22, was shot early Tuesday morning on the steps of his apartment and later died while at the hospital. GREENWOOD, SC (WSPA) A rally in front of the Greenwood Courthouse brought families of nearly a half dozen murder victims together Tuesday afternoon. 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. Choose wisely! Perez took police to another man lying on a concrete pad behind an apartment. However, three - which took place in the middle of this crime spree - took place on a Thursday. Low 44F. 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. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. All these cases are active. Through the rest of the year, police would remain relatively silent as to where their investigation stood. They had been playing basketball together when Malakia decided to go home. They had been shot. "We're looking for a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. At the time of her disappearance, Reinaldo Javier "Ray" Rivera, now a convicted serial killer, was attending the University of South Carolina. To get justice for them, Chaudoin said he sometimes asks officers if there are forensic techniques that could reveal new leads. People with information are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. In 1996, the testing of mitochondrial DNA was performed at a genetics lab in North Carolina. 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. They had reason to believe that Hampton had been responsible for some truly terrible crimes, but they had no prove any of them. 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. They also tried to see if her disappearance was tied to other missing persons cases from surrounding states. As the hunter walked along a pasture fence, he stumbled upon a small object resembling a human skull. The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund was established by Tuck Wooten, the Head of A.M. Tuck Inc. 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. He did not live here. Those early tests were inconclusive, relying on DNA found in the skull itself in very primitive ways. Friends were celebrating the warm weather by swimming in the apartment pools, kids were playing outside among others their age, and families were barbecuing and picnicking in the community areas. He had been talking with someone on a moped when a dark car came up, and two people opened fire from within. 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 . The author of the newspaper article noted that as she spoke about her daughter, Bernetta was clutching a photo of Kia. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. South Carolina Department of Social Services; South Carolina Dept Health & Environmental Control; . He also soon recanted all of his prior confessions, meaning that police had to start back from square one. Another description was vague, calling it simply an older model white compact or subcompact with blue interior. 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. It is known that her friends lost track of her in the crowd so they assumed that she had a ride home and left. They had no evidence that he had actually committed the crime, but they had his confession on-record, and at the very least, he had lied to investigators and caused them to waste valuable time by pursuing him as the suspect. 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. Three other people were shot that day and taken to the hospital by others, but many in the crowd said they saw nothing and police couldnt confirm the nature of the shooting. 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. There are just no leads or evidence to go on even though the police push every avenue they come across. A translator helped him speak to officers, and he said he was robbed before he and the other man were shot by a masked man. Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. All of their friends in the apartment complex had since gone home, so Renee knew that Kia wasn't still out there. When her sisters were questioned, only the 6-year-old stated that a man with a 'magic' hat came and took Jessica away. Theyre experiencing the most horrific thing thats probably ever happened to them in their life, Chaudoin said. As of publishing, there have not been any new updates in relation to Kias disappearance and murder, nor about the investigation into it. However, no calls were received and the real investigation into her disappearance began. (LogOut/ Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. Through interviews, police learned two or three men had come over to the house prior to the shooting. 8 Infamous Unsolved Mysteries In SC - OnlyInYourState At this point, police were convinced it belonged to Kia, but were unable to positively conclude this, despite using dental records and the skull reconstruction techniques made available to them. Unsolved Crimes - Crime Stoppers of The Midlands In the weeks after, she would find it difficult to leave the telephone unattended, in case she missed a call from someone related to the case. 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. Greenwood city's six unsolved homicides stay a police priority | Crime You will receive your first email soon. Unfortunately, none came, and the next day, they had to begin investigating Kia's disappearance in earnest. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. I know that we dont want to think about such things happening in our own backyard, but we must. 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. However, this was also when he stopped cooperating with authorities and recanted all of his prior confessions. Charles Wade Hampton later plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges, which stemmed from him lying to investigators. If they wanted to try him for any of those crimes, they needed a more definitive smoking gun. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. These tips carried the investigation outside the Greenwood area, with investigators pursuing leads to as far away at California. They were just a few hundred or so yards from their apartment, where the sisters lived with their mother, a middle school teacher. It hasn't been updated with any of his current information. South Carolina Crime Stoppers View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. However, it wasn't until 2002 that prosecutors began firing off the big guns at Hampton. Nor am I criticizing those who have helped so far or those concerned citizens who have contributed to the present approximately $3000 reward. A clear sky. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. 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. Freeman died at the hospital while being treated for his injuries. Get more stories delivered right to your email. 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. I am criticizing the rest of us who thrive in our community yet appear apathetic. She didn't want to miss any potential calls from Kia. 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. He and. Her father, Richard Logan, was the mayor of a small South Carolina town named Saluda. Part of me is missing and I need to find it.". 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. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. So, he'll be back on the street. Unsolved Murdaugh Murders Expose Years of South Carolina Mysteries 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. The families and friends of those slain deserve answers, and Chaudoin said he asks investigators to revisit these open cases every now and then. [email protected]. Neighbors cameras didnt offer much, but one witness said he saw a black sedan leave speeding from the area. You never know if that tiny piece of information could flesh out the full puzzle. It wasn't until the sister returned to the apartment complex half-an-hour later that anyone realized this eight-year old was missing. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Charleston Murdaugh Murders | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News - WCIV The podcast is hosted by veteran journalist Anne Emerson, along with former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and producer You see, in 1981, he had been arrested and convicted for the rape of a sixteen-year old, telling interrogators that his seminal fluid had been used to convict him.