In November 2017, the FBI Baltimore Field Office offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster told the media: "It was obvious that it was the skull of a child. She, also, went missing while riding her bike very close to her home, in a public setting. No closure. 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. We would have found some clues, but we were not given those resources, because Akia is an African-American, young, single, mother of two. Eggleston was excited to be moving in with the father of her child, Michael Robertson, who was in a relationship with another 22-year-old woman that had recently given birth to his second child, Mosby told reporters. By September 15th, Kia had been missing for four months. / CBS Baltimore. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It has been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. About 1:24 p.m., Eggleston purchased two money orders totaling $450 after making several ATM withdrawals from her savings account, Mosby said. Unsolved Mysteries Wiki - "Malakia Logan", WISTV - "Indictment in 14-year-old disappearance of Greenwood girl", WISTV - "Suspect in murder of Greenwood County eight-year-old may soon walk free", Lander University - "Scholarship established in memory of Kia Logan", "Sexually Motivated Crimes: Understanding the Profile of the Sex Offender and Applying Theory to Practice" by Janet R. Oliva (CRC Press), Only In Your State - "9 Infamous Bone-Chilling Unsolved Mysteries In South Carolina", Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). A 68-page report spells out everything investigators did from the moment Kimberly Lindsey was reported missing -- all the way up until her ex-husband, Albert Lambert, was found dead in Miami. Peace stated that Hampton had falsely confessed to "one, maybe two murders in Georgia and one in Columbia. 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. An attorney for Robertson, who is awaiting extradition from Michigan and being held on a $200,000 bond, was not immediately identified. It wasn't until the sister returned to the apartment complex half-an-hour later that anyone realized this eight-year old was missing. His hair was dark blonde, which could vary anywhere between blonde and dark brown. 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. According to a statement of probable cause, Eggleston and Robertson first met in the 1990s when his grandmother babysat her as a child. Investigators allege the 41-year-old sent Eggleston pictures of an apartment interior on May 2, 2017. Eggleston was 22 years old, eight months pregnant and the mother to a 2-year-old daughter when she disappeared in May 2017. Speaking about the indictment, longtime Greenwood County Sheriff Sam Riley stated: "There was no relationship between him and Kia. I am a model/model coach with experience in runway, Promotions/Brand Ambassador, Video, TV, Acting, Pageants, model and Fitness Instructor etc. Eggleston vanished in May of 2017. By FOX Carolina News Staff. That afternoon, Eggleston unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw cash twice from an ATM at a Wells Fargo location downtown. ", 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.". 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. As Hampton prepared for his five-year sentence, he was facing investigations and charges from four separate states. On May 15th, 1988, all seemed to be well in the world. Ever.". The County Bank is accepting and receipting donations. "When it happens, we need to address it," he said. She didn't want to miss any potential calls from Kia. The case continues to generate national media coverage, but there are still no answers as to what happened to the 22-year-old mom. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. Akia was reported missing by family members on May 7, 2017, after she failed to show up to her own baby shower. 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.". Her father, Shawn Wilkinson, told WJZ in 2019 "[t]here were no signs that any of us saw that she would just want to pack up and leave.". Details released in Kimberly Lindsey's death. On May 30th, over two weeks after Kia had disappeared, investigators were still optimistic. Domestic violence is real, and when it happens, we need to address it, he said. So when family and friends wanted to celebrate her . Robertson then started staying with Eggleston in April 2017 after being evicted from the apartment he shared with Pomeroy, according to the statement of probable cause. This year my daughter Renee will go, but I will stay here to answer the phone, just in case. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. Michael Robertson, 41, was arrested in Michigan around 4 p.m. Tuesday in . Akia Eggleston was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in May of 2017, featured in Datelines Missing in America. Sending it off for testing, they had to hope that they could uncover any evidence that could help lead them to the culprit. In 2009, the Malakia Logan Memorial Scholarship was established at her hometown's Lander University. That day - Monday, May 16th - approximately seventy-five people helped conduct a search around the apartment complex. That report, compiled by the team at . Marshals, officials said at a press conference. Greenwood County Sheriff Giles Daniel stated that calls were still pouring in about Kia, either potential sightings or people that may know something. Before I even got there, people were calling me, telling me 'she wasn't here.' 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. Baltimore Police continue to search for clues in her disappearance. Many of these details matched up with what police had heard from the victims themselves - but others did not. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It has been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. This would come up later in the story, so please keep that in-mind. First published on May 4, 2021 / 10:50 PM. "The case is 19 years old; the family has been living with it for 19 years. The father of Akia's unborn child never showed up to the baby shower, placing him under suspicion of the family, yet he was never labeled as a person of interested or investigated to this day. That evening, Eggleston had shared a sonogram picture on Facebook. But in the years since the soon-to-be mother of two disappeared, no one has been able to find out what happened to her. His ex-wife and girlfriend agreed on that - they often helped him dye it, during time periods that turned out to correlate with the 1995 and 1996 sexual assaults. In most cases, they were sexually assaulted before being abandoned in a public setting, but at least one of the girls wasn't she was simply abducted and then dumped off at a gas station, where she was able to call for help. Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and their prayers, Akias aunt, Sanobia Wilson, said. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- 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 baby shower, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Thursday. 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. Eggleston, who was eight months pregnant with her son, disappeared just days before her. for weeks or months at a time between interviews," according to the statement of probable cause. He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of Eggleston and her unborn child. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. One of the missing persons cases explored in the show is that of Akia Eggleston, a 22-year-old who went missing from Baltimore, Maryland in 2017. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. He also had a blotchy, pockmarked face, made worse from poison ivy exposure the year prior. All calls are toll-free and confidential. Even though the evidence says something different -- that shes not. ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Anderson County Sheriff's Office says a missing 10-year-old boy . 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. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. Calls to . I am criticizing the rest of us who thrive in our community yet appear apathetic. Browse all missing children from South Carolina Missing: Joshua Cuddy (SC) Egglestons disappearance has been featured by advocacy groups like the Black and Missing Foundation, which seeks to highlight cases involving people of color who often dont get the same media attention as their white counterparts. Dennis Beauford, one of the first deputies to arrive at the scene, stated: "It was a pretty Sunday afternoon. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. SHE HAS A TATTOO ON HER LEFT FOREARM THAT SAYS "LIVE FREE". It had been nearly five years since the original indictment was filed, accusing him of the abduction and murder of Kia Logan. "He'll get credit for time served and good behavior. She could find no sign of her, but they would later find Kia's bike overturned just outside of the apartment office. It's like a depression has set in.". 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. 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. INVESTIGATORS STATE THAT MS. 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. He'll be back on the street. They learned about how he constantly changed his hair color, and had driven a number of cars over the last few years: some of which included a 1977 maroon Dodge Aspen, a 1965 Chevy Bel Air, and a bronze-colored Chrysler. At the time of his arrest, he was forty-four years old, and was driving a white 1986 Dodge 600. 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.". 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. 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. Further, the few statements Robertson has provided to law enforcement have been contradictory and deceptive, according to the statement of probable cause. Ken Berry (1968) NC: Trial & _____ John . 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. "I think it was viewed as she was just another black girl that's missing.". I don't know where my child is and I don't know where my grandson is.". The physical search didn't produce any leads or clues. "I don't think her case was taken seriously," said Wilson. Robertson also was in contact during that time with the mother of his other two children. Police were able to link Hampton to a farm owned in northern Georgia, which was owned by a friend of his. 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 later moved to Michigan after being interviewed by cops at the time. "Normally there would be a family get-together in Saluda. The woman who was eight months pregnant at the time was last seen alive four days earlier, Mosby said. 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. He did not live here. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. We had no help, no resources. Police also found actual pairs of children's underwear in his laundry, which then sent in for forensic testing. A little after nine o'clock that evening, Kia was reported missing to the Greenwood County Sheriff's Department. By Thursday, May 19th, the mood in the Georgetown apartment complex had changed dramatically. "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't. He faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. Courtesy of FBI About an hour later, Robertson's phone moved away from Eggleston's apartment and headed toward downtown Baltimore as. 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. Needless to say, Charles Hampton was now on their radar. "I hope wherever she (Kia) is, she's safe and alive and she'll be home soon. Eggleston, 22, was excited to move in with the father of her child, Robertson, who was in a relationship with another 22-year-old woman. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. Mosby did not reveal Robertson's motive for alleged murder, but said at the news conference, "There was some sort of contention among the two with reference with Akia having the child.". 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. Updated: Feb. 21, 2019 at 10:34 AM PST. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. BROWN HAIR , GREEN EYES. These two men were not immediately believed to be suspects, but were wanted for questioning. This week her family placed a missing person flier, flower and ribbon outside the home where Akia once lived, on Cherrycrest Road in south Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood. The search continues for a missing college student in South Carolina who went kayaking on Christmas Day and never came home. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. 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. We are also following up on similar situations that occur in this area and nationwide.". During an interview on June 15, 2017, he claimed he last saw Eggleston on Monday, May 1. Neither she nor the child have turned up since then. While police began a search of his home and his vehicle, he openly admitted to several things. Cellphone data, text messages and other evidence tracked the movements of Robertson and Eggleston in what prosecutors allege were her final hours on that day. It was her last known communication. 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. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. On the northern outskirts of the town is the small country airport, which consists of a single elongated runway. Charles Wade Hampton later plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges, which stemmed from him lying to investigators. The lone exception was a five-year old girl with tan, olive-colored skin who had dark feaures. South Carolina's Law Enforcement Division spokesman Hugh Munn stated about the composite drawing which the authorities had debuted the evening before: "We've done all the groundwork we can. At that time, very little was known about Akias movements in the days before she disappeared. 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. She had one sister, named Renee, and the three lived in an apartment complex just north of Greenwood, South Carolina. For nearly five years, the people of Baltimore have searched, hoped and mourned with Akias family and friends, she said. "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. No tip is too small. "We hope this arrest serves as a reminder that time does not deter law enforcement efforts and our persistence to find truth and justice.". "We do believe that he did it, he made her disappear. But we can't prove it. 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