May 3, 2020 will mark the third year anniversary of Akia Eggleston's disappearance. Georgetown has always been a family-type community. TV show Missing Word Star (year) One Tree ____ James Lafferty (2003) NC _____ Banks: Chase Stokes (2020) NC _____ R.F.D. It wasn't until the sister returned to the apartment complex half-an-hour later that anyone realized this eight-year old was missing. However, because of its size, they were able to determine that the victim had been thirteen years of age or younger. It bothers me that we seem willing to accept this obvious crime against a child without a public uproar. Unknown Missing Active Chaka Jay Wood Last Seen: February 15, 2017 City: Gaffney State: South Carolina United States Urgent Unknown Missing Active Alexis Ware Last Seen: January 30, 2022 City: Anderson State: South Carolina USA Urgent Endangered Child Active Jada Cunningham Last Seen: August 24, 2021 City: Columbia State: South Carolina USA "I do have a small glimmer of hope that she could still be alive," said Wilson. ", The statement added: "Investigation revealed the only person with the motive, means, and opportunity to murder Eggleston was the purported father of her unborn child, Michael Robertson.". He spoke about the skull as well, stating about his communication with the Newberry County Sheriff's Office: "We were in contact with them yesterday and we will be in contact with them again today. It had grown to a total of $20,328.68. Calls to . When I drove up, and looked at that bike in the parking lot, I had a gut feeling something wasn't right and I called Riley at home. 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.". 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. 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. The family, to their credit, was steadfast in their conviction, wanting to to see Hampton in a court to face the charges levied against him. I am a model/model coach with experience in runway, Promotions/Brand Ambassador, Video, TV, Acting, Pageants, model and Fitness Instructor etc. He also brought attention to an issue that is all too common. Investigators need your help. "He'll get credit for time served and good behavior. At that time, very little was known about Akias movements in the days before she disappeared. She had plans to get her hair done on that Friday, and she was supposed to pick out her dress, and the baby's dress, her daughter, so she was getting ready, she was happy, Egglestons aunt Sanobia Wilson told local Baltimore news station WMAR-2 News. 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. That day - Monday, May 16th - approximately seventy-five people helped conduct a search around the apartment complex. In October, investigators tried to speak with Robertson at his Muskegon home, but he declined to be interviewed and then left his residence, investigators said. 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. 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. 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. NamUs Charley Project Peace stated that Hampton had falsely confessed to "one, maybe two murders in Georgia and one in Columbia. SCOTLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) The Scotland County Sheriff's Office is looking for a Laurinburg woman who has been missing since Valentine's Day. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the last time anyone saw. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. Can't we show at least as much concern for the fate of a child? Even though the evidence says something different -- that shes not. 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. According to a statement of probable cause, Eggleston and Robertson first met in the 1990s when his grandmother babysat her as a child. According to Mosby, phone records show a telemarketer tried to call Eggleston at 6:57 p.m. At that time, both her phone and Robertson's were located downtown, she said. We just want to say thank you and just to please continue to keep us in your prayers., Akias stepfather, Shawn Wilkinson, took to the podium to thank the investigating agencies who worked on Akias case. They had already been waiting two hours for her to come there, so when I got the call stating that she wasn't there and nobody could reach her. Akia Shawnta Eggleston was last seen May 3, 2017. pic.twitter.com/KgrjYz2OMd. For keeping hope for our family that we would find her alive. Michael Robertson, 41, was arrested in Michigan around 4 p.m. Tuesday in . The father of a missing pregnant mother's unborn child has been arrested and charged with killing them both nearly five years after the Maryland woman disappeared. The sunny atmosphere from just a few days prior had evaporated. That's all we've got. By September 15th, Kia had been missing for four months. Cherry Hill is a large park. When the skull was discovered in 1990, it proved a lone clue in a vast sea of nothingness. All cellphone and social media activity by Eggleston, who is survived by a 2-year-old daughter, stopped on May 3, the day investigators believe she was killed. About an hour later, Robertsons phone moved away from Egglestons apartment and headed toward downtown Baltimore as he texted the other 22-year-old woman he was dating, records show. Her picture appeared on ADVO cards in August and the story was recently on television. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Josiah-Jordan James came back from missing four games with an injury to score 18 points to lead No. In October 2017, after a local TV station ran a report on Egglestons disappearance, Robertson searched on Google about trash or dumpster pickup schedules in Baltimore, Mosby said. Between 1995 and 1996, the states of Georgia and South Carolina began investigating a series of sexual assaults that occurred along a specific interstate. A little after nine o'clock that evening, Kia was reported missing to the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department. 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. Let's send the message forth: "Greenwood County folks get right upset when one of their children is criminally abused. 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. We did also search the park. Pity us if we don't! In his vehicle, police found many out-of-place items: things such as clothing, toilet paper, the marriage certificate of him and his ex-wife, etc. There were six victims in total, all of whom - save for one - were young black girls between the ages of five and nine. Local businesses continued by making donations to the fund. Also, the Kia Reward Fund is growing and we are hopeful that this will bring someone forward with positive information. Dennis Beauford, the responding deputy, ended up staying the night on the couch of the Logan family, waiting for there to be any ransom calls or communication from Kia herself. 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. We've received your submission. Four and a half years after a 22-year-old pregnant mother from Baltimore vanished before her baby shower, authorities say they know who's responsible for Akia Eggleston's sudden disappearance. The family seeks justice in Akias case. ", 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.". The lone exception was a five-year old girl with tan, olive-colored skin who had dark feaures. Eggleston, then 22 and eight months pregnant, subsequently missed a May 7 baby shower she'd organized for herself, causing panicked friends and family to search and then report her missing. He included details, some of which convinced police that he had involvement, but others they viewed skeptically. Her social media activity abruptly stopped that day, according to a probable cause statement. However, it wasn't until 2002 that prosecutors began firing off the big guns at Hampton. But there were also nude photographs of women - including images of his then-girlfriend - and a pornographic magazine named "Stroke Off Tales.". 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. "We're also looking for a faded dark blue or black Monte Carlo, a mid-70's model. MS. NEBLING IS A WHITE FEMALE, BLOND HAIR, 5'5 AND SLIM BUILT. 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. He openly confessed to committing several of the child abductions, providing explicit details of the subsequent sexual assaults. At a news conference on Thursday, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said, "At this stage in the investigation, we believe that he's the person of interest," reports WBAL-TV. Based on her pattern of life, the time passed, extensive publicity, multiple searches, and monetary reward for information in this case, the fact that Eggleston has not returned to her family or been electronically or physically located overwhelmingly indicates that she is in fact, deceased. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. However, one of the most interesting notes of this sketch came from a description, which noted that the suspect had a pockmarked face. 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. Bernetta, the girls' mother, began looking around the apartment complex for eight-year old Kia. The then 22-year-old from Cherry Hill was getting ready for her second child but her dad, Shawn Wilkinson, said that she did not show up for her baby shower in May of 2017. Police first thought this was a clue that she walked off on her own. 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. VON CANNON IS A WHITE FEMALE, AGE 43, 5'7, 190 LBS. They had suspended the searches on Tuesday afternoon, after finding nothing in the two days out there. His hair was dark blonde, which could vary anywhere between blonde and dark brown. It's like a depression has set in.". In its press release Thursday, the Baltimore States Attorneys office stated that Robertson faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty of all charges which include two counts of First Degree Murder, while also cautioning that an arrest is not a finding of guilt. He did not live here. Few details are available. About 1:24 p.m., Eggleston purchased two money orders totaling $450 after making several ATM withdrawals from her savings account, Mosby said. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. 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. Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. When they searched his home, they found several photographs of children in underwear, as well as various photos of nude adults - including pictures of Hampton himself. Family of Akia Eggleston who disappeared in May 2017 near the Inner Harbor have taken the story national. All of their friends in the apartment complex had since gone home, so Renee knew that Kia wasn't still out there. He faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. ", He said the family is seeking justice for Akia and "will continue to stand united as a family until the final judgment in this case has been rendered. "Reading his statement, you'd think that only the person who did that would know those details. It hasn't been updated with any of his current information. 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. The eyes were definitely on him," she said, reports WBAL. 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. "I don't think her case was taken seriously," said Wilson. CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said deputies are searching for Robert Warner, a missing 60-year-old last seen on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. I am criticizing the rest of us who thrive in our community yet appear apathetic. He'll be back on the street. Robertson was interviewed several times during the investigation, but "notably has displayed a consistent pattern of hiding or avoiding police contact Set in the middle of Greenwood itself, the reward fund started with a $2000 donation in her name. Investigators had been pursuing clues as far away as California, and trying to tie Kia's disappearance to other stories of missing children in the surrounding states. A follow-up news article stated how employees of the local K-Mart, so moved by Wiggins' battle cry, raised $650 within an hour. ", First published on February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM. Akia was reported missing by family members on May 7, 2017, after she failed to show up to her own baby shower. However, Kia lived with her mother, Bernetta Logan Baylor, who was a teacher at a nearby middle school. PLEASE CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 23-CRIME. Her older sister and friend stayed at the basketball court for a little while longer. The wooded area he was in, just off of Mount Pleasant Road - also known as S.C. 34 - is about four miles northeast of Newberry and thirty-five miles east of Greenwood, where Kia Logan had disappeared from. Charles Wade Hampton later plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges, which stemmed from him lying to investigators. Ken Berry (1968) NC: Trial & _____ John . Upon further investigation, it was determined that the last time anyone saw Akia alive was on the afternoon of May 3, 2017. On May 30th, over two weeks after Kia had disappeared, investigators were still optimistic. believe that foul play may have been involved. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN SEARCHING FOR HER FOR OVER A YEAR. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. Ever.". U.S. South Carolina North Carolina Missing Persons Search efforts are continuing for a 23-year-old South Carolina man who went missing in late January. ON OR ABOUT MAY 16, 2020 STEPHANIE HOPE VON CANNON WAS LAST SEEN BY A FAMILY MEMBER AT A RESIDENCE IN GREENVILLE COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA. This was a random act, which seems to be his technique.". This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Her remains have not been found despite extensive searches, but authorities said evidence overwhelmingly indicates that shes dead. "Normally there would be a family get-together in Saluda. Eggleston was 22 years old, eight months pregnant and the mother to a 2-year-old daughter when she disappeared in May 2017. The case continues to generate national media coverage, but there are still no answers as to what happened to the 22-year-old mom. Updated: Feb. 21, 2019 at 10:34 AM PST. (232-7463. He later moved to Michigan after being interviewed by cops at the time. 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. Michael Robertson, 41, was arrested Tuesday in Michigan on two counts of first-degree murder charges in the death of Akia Eggleston and the couples unborn child, Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby told reporters at a press conference. We're scraping the bottom right now.". The searches and canvass of the apartment complex continued on into Tuesday, but police wouldn't release another public statement until May 18th - Wednesday. In late 2017, Robertson moved to Michigan, where he was apprehended by U.S. 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. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. The FBI is also involved and is offering a $25,000 reward for information about the case. 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. He described not only his sex life - which included sex with both genders - but his prior criminal history. But they never gave up, and neither did we. Buchenwald added that while Akias body still hasnt been found, we hope this arrest brings a level of comfort and closure to Akias family., Members of Akias family also addressed the media Thursday. Eggleston, who was eight months pregnant with her son, disappeared just . We would have found some clues, but we were not given those resources, because Akia is an African-American, young, single, mother of two. For nearly five years, the people of Baltimore have searched, hoped and mourned with Akias family and friends, she said. "We're now awaiting requests from law enforcement for further assistance. While some descriptions of this suspect varied - such as at least one of the girls calling the suspect "fat in his tummy" and the perpetrator's hair color varying - these details were all universally agreed upon. They had held out hope that someone had abducted her for ransom, or perhaps - just perhaps - she actually had run away. "When it happens, we need to address it," he said. In July 2017, a police spokesman said investigators had come to believe that foul play may have been involved. February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM I'm thinking in terms of fifty or a hundred thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible a reward made up of contributions from those who really care, in amounts affordable to them parents, concerned citizens and businesses. Police noted that he had a snake tattoo on his upper arm, as well as his initials - C.H. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It has been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. Let today serve as a reminder to the people of Baltimore City that your States Attorneys Office will never give up in our fight for justice, Mosby said in a statement. 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. He faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty. 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.". Early on in questioning, Charles admitted that he often changed his hair color. The 22-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, was reported missing when she failed to show up at her own baby shower. UPDATE: Arrest Made In Disappearance Of Pregnant Mom Akia Eggleston; Missing Since 2017. The father of a missing pregnant Baltimore womans unborn child has been arrested on murder charges nearly five years after her disappearance, authorities said Thursday. "We hope this arrest serves as a reminder that time does not deter law enforcement efforts and our persistence to find truth and justice.". Moments later, Eggleston messaged Robertson on Facebook, "I called u I got the money order.". The expecting mom was last seen on May 3 on surveillance camera at a bank where she deposited $572 before making a cash withdrawal, Mosby said. Both of these generated more leads of possible sightings of Kia Logan and suspects bearing a resemblance of the composite of a man wanted for questioning. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The results were testing alongside DNA taken from Kia's parents, Bernetta and Richard, and this time, it proved consistent. "It's crushing to know that we don't know where she is, we don't know if she's hurt," said Sanobia Wilson, Eggleston's aunt. 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. The woman who was eight months pregnant at the time was last seen alive four days earlier, Mosby said. By FOX Carolina News Staff. But Robertson had other plans, Mosby said, ultimately concocting an elaborate ruse about a fake move that led to Eggleston withdrawing cash for a down payment. On the northern outskirts of the town is the small country airport, which consists of a single elongated runway. As an adult, he stood about five-feet-eight-inches tall, weighing it at only 132 pounds. It was her last known communication. Akia Eggleston went missing in Baltimore, Maryland in May of 2017. Eggleston, a single mom with a three-year-old . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. They combed around the Georgetown Apartments for most of the night, until the lack of light eventually led to them turning it around. We do not give up on the victims of crime in Baltimore City. In 1993, the skull was sent off to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC for DNA testing. Hampton confessed to committing three child abductions in a northern Georgia town, and even confessed to killing a child out on a farm. Speaking Thursday, Wilkinson thanks local and federal law enforcement agencies and made a plea to address domestic violence. Wilson told WJZ that she wishes law enforcement did more to investigate the case when Eggleston disappeared. Eggleston, 22, was reported missing by her family after she failed to show up to her baby shower on May 7, 2017. Greenwood's Emergency Preparedness Director Herbert Vaughn spoke to the local press, and talked about the searches his department had helped conduct in the area on Monday and Tuesday. VON CANNON IS A TRANSIT AND COULD BE ANYWHERE. "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. Dennis Beauford, one of the first deputies to arrive at the scene, stated: "It was a pretty Sunday afternoon. The composite is the latest thing we have and we're trying to develop leads from that. Egglestons stepfather, Shawn Wilkinson, who went on The View in 2019 to plead for help in solving his daughters disappearance, thanked investigators Thursday for never giving up on the case. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. Foul play is something that we are absolutely exploring, the spokesperson said, because she was eight months pregnant at the time, and we're obviously beyond the point where she could have given birth., Sanobia Wilson is glad that her nieces disappearance is finally getting more attention. The felony, which carried a potential ten year sentence, was handed down shortly after his plea. One way is to make the amount of the reward really impressive and/or tempting. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. I knew something was wrong then.. Investigators said they believe Robertson killed Eggleston, whose phone has never been recovered.
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