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. Early on in questioning, Charles admitted that he often changed his hair color. Robertson also was in contact during that time with the mother of his other two children. 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. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. 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. HER FAMILY IS CONCERNED BECAUSE HASN'T CONTACTED ANYONE IN SOME TIME. At around the time these sexual assaults came to an end, in the summer of 1996, police began to eye a specific sexual deviant as a potential suspect. Her granddaughter, Ashley, had been friends with both Kia and Renee Logan, and had actually been playing with the two on the basketball court shortly before Kia disappeared. May 4, 2021 / 10:50 PM Donna Shareen Wright Endangered Missing from Beech Island, South Carolina since June 28, 1989 Age: 17 -- Height: 5'6" -- Weight: 120 lbs -- Hair Color: Black -- Eye Color: Brown Donna, a child of 13 siblings, was last seen in Beech Island, South Carolina on June 28, 1989. Authorities have arrested Michael Robertson and charged him with murder in the 2017 disappearance of Akia Eggleston, a woman with whom he was having a child who went missing just days before her . Neither she nor the child have turned up since then. "We're looking for a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. They were still investigating new avenues, but none of them led anywhere. Akia, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, was eight months pregnant when she vanished four days before her baby shower was to take . In the weeks since Kia had gone missing, Bernetta struggled to leave the phone for any prolonged period of time. We've received your submission. No closure. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. He told lawmakers that law enforcement only took the case seriously when no baby was reported being born in a nearby hospital a month later. Courtesy of FBI About an hour later, Robertson's phone moved away from Eggleston's apartment and headed toward downtown Baltimore as. So, he'll be back on the street. for weeks or months at a time between interviews," according to the statement of probable cause. Police say they conducted interviews, search warrants and dedicated over 1,000 man-hours to the case. But we can't prove it. He had green eyes, with brown hair, a brown mustache, and a few days' worth of graying stubble at the time of his arrest in 1996. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. Speaking with investigators in October, Robertson claimed he changed his phone number after receiving threats from Eggleston's relatives, but phone records showed he got a new number the day before the baby shower, according to the statement of probable cause. 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. Her remains have not been found despite extensive searches, but authorities said evidence overwhelmingly indicates that shes dead. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. "I hope that today's arrest brings some sense and some measure of hope in the first phase in our pursuit of justice for Akia Eggleston," said Mosby. The 22-year-olds case is featured in HBOs new docuseries Black and Missing. Sadly, he wasn't too far off. As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. Shawn Wilkinson, Eggleston's stepdad, says the money could have been for a down payment for a new apartment with her babys father. 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"In my mind, he has always been a suspect. Robertson falsely led Eggleston to believe they were going to move in together.. Greenwood County Sheriff Giles Daniel stated that calls were still pouring in about Kia, either potential sightings or people that may know something. She was not looked at as if she mattered to anybody, but she mattered to us., Alex Murdaugh Faces Life In Prison For Allegedly Killing His Wife & Son, Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. After this discovery, interrogators circled back around to Hampton. By FOX Carolina News Staff. Hours later, Robertsons next call was made near Egglestons home and investigators believe they were together at her apartment that afternoon. Just like the details he provided: he knew some information about these locales, but not all of the minute details. Phone records indicate Robertson was in the area near Eggleston's residence from 5:35 p.m. to 6:18 p.m., Mosby said. ON OCTOBER 20th 2020 JORDEN SHYANN NEBLING AGE 20 WAS REPORTED MISSING TO THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE . 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. PLEASE CALL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 23-CRIME. They're no closer today than they were back in 1988 when Kia was snatched up. For keeping hope for our family that we would find her alive. Police first thought this was a clue that she walked off on her own. "I think it was viewed as she was just another black girl that's missing.". In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. 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. Unfortunately, none came, and the next day, they had to begin investigating Kia's disappearance in earnest. Crime Stoppers encourages anyone with information about the cases featured below to submit a webtip. 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. Kia was dead. In 1996, the testing of mitochondrial DNA was performed at a genetics lab in North Carolina. Few details are available. Domestic violence is real, and when it happens, we need to address it, he said. Eggleston vanished in May of 2017. 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. According to a statement of probable cause, Eggleston and Robertson first met in the 1990s when his grandmother babysat her as a child. Duck hunter Tyler Doyle has. Eggleston's family members who joined law enforcement officials at the news conference included her aunt, Sanobia Wilson. Michael Robertson, 41, was arrested in Michigan around 4 p.m. Tuesday in . Charles Wade Hampton was born on September 21st, 1952. MS. NEBLING IS KNOWN TO FREQUENT THE TRAVELERS REST AND MARIETA COMMUNITES. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. 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. You can also contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Akia Eggleston . This meant that investigators now had half-a-decade to try and work out a case against him. ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Anderson County Sheriff's Office says a missing 10-year-old boy . 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. It has affected so many relationships and we will continue to stand united as a family until the final judgment in this case has been rendered.". Wilkinson said he feels the pain every day. 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. Grace Beahm Alford/AP/ShutterstockAfter almost two years of speculation and a stunning fall from grace as a once-prominent South Carolina lawyer, Alex Murdaugh finally took the stand Thursday to provide a jaw-dropping testimony in his double murder trial, including admitting to stealing from clients and conceding that he'd lied about his whereabouts on the night of the murders because of . 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. Greenwood is the type of town you imagine when you think of rural America: a downtown comprised of brick buildings, a railroad track that separates the storefronts from the industrial area, and a large suburban population. This would come up later in the story, so please keep that in-mind. SHE HAS A TATTOO ON HER LEFT FOREARM THAT SAYS "LIVE FREE". Akia was reported missing by family members on May 7, 2017, after she failed to show up to her own baby shower. This not being enough, the skull would later be sent to an FBI lab in 1998. ", First published on February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM. Let's send the message forth: "Greenwood County folks get right upset when one of their children is criminally abused. Moments later, Eggleston messaged Robertson on Facebook, "I called u I got the money order.". We're scraping the bottom right now.". If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. I am not criticizing the authorities, who are working hard to solve the case. Carolyn Kelley, the apartment/property manager that lived in the apartments with her daughter and granddaughter, had noticed a complete overhaul of the environment. Here, the skull would be confirmed as belonging to Kia Logan, with the FBI forensic investigators theorizing that Kia had originaly been killed in Greenwood County and then later dumped in Newberry County. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. "I do have a small glimmer of hope that she could still be alive," said Wilson. Before I even got there, people were calling me, telling me 'she wasn't here.' She was last seen on May 3 when she was captured on . 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.". From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. "We do believe that he did it, he made her disappear. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? ", 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.". 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. Eggleston sent a friend an invite to her baby shower that evening the last known message sent by the pregnant woman to anyone, according to the probable cause statement. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. "The family seeks justice in Akia's case. "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. It remains ongoing. So when family and friends wanted to celebrate her . 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