It had been nearly five years since the original indictment was filed, accusing him of the abduction and murder of Kia Logan. They haven't made any positive identification yet. 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. February 03, 2022. Eggleston, a single mom with a three-year-old daughter, was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance; she was expected to attend her baby shower on May 6, 2017 but never arrived. That was when police announced that they were looking for two men, who had been seen in the vicinity of the Georgetown apartment complex late Sunday afternoon. On June 22nd, 2007 - a Friday - the charges against Charles Wade Hampton were suddenly dropped. Robertson also did not show up to her baby shower and was instead at a hotel with his other 22-year-old girlfriend, identified as Hali Pomeroy, investigators said. 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. Few details are available. BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It has been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. 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. They were still investigating new avenues, but none of them led anywhere. However, the criminal trial would never come to be. That day, Eggleston was seen on surveillance video depositing the two money orders and a paycheck from her employer at a BB&T location in the central business district. I am criticizing the rest of us who thrive in our community yet appear apathetic. Duck hunter Tyler Doyle has. That afternoon, Eggleston unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw cash twice from an ATM at a Wells Fargo location downtown. 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. 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. May 4, 2021 / 10:50 PM SHE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO LIVE OR VISIT ON THE WESTISIDE OF GREENVILLE COUNTY AND LAURENS COUNTY. 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. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. However, one of the most interesting notes of this sketch came from a description, which noted that the suspect had a pockmarked face. When the police did eventually investigate, they discovered that Eggleston was last seen three days prior to her shower on May 3, 2017, when she was spotted on a surveillance camera withdrawing $572 from a bank in downtown Baltimore. May 3, 2020 will mark the third year anniversary of Akia Eggleston's disappearance. Mom Is Presumed Dead, as Police Search for Possibly Suicidal Ex, Who Is Murder Suspect, Wanted Ore. Man Accused of Torturing Woman Is Using Dating Apps to Find Victims and Evade Capture: Police, Brian Walshe, Husband of Missing Mass. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. She could find no sign of her, but they would later find Kia's bike overturned just outside of the apartment office. He did not live here. 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. 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. The prosecutors consulted Kia's family throughout this process, taking their feelings into consideration. 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. Wilkinson said. HBOs new documentary series Black and Missing follows Derrica and Natalie Wilson, two sisters-in-law who started the Black and Missing Foundation in order to bring awareness to the countless cases of missing Black people forgotten by law enforcement and overlooked in news coverage. Akia Eggleston was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in May of 2017, featured in Datelines Missing in America. One way is to make the amount of the reward really impressive and/or tempting. Is it twisted thinking? Her father, Richard Logan, was the mayor of a small South Carolina town named Saluda. He had been in police custody, and when questioned, he began confessing to the crimes. They all decided to put the money to good use, allowing education or nursing majors to receive the scholarship in times of hardship. On October 1st, 1990 - a Monday - a hunter was in an area just outside of Newberry, South Carolina. They had suspended the searches on Tuesday afternoon, after finding nothing in the two days out there. But, rather, because he has said some very damning things about himself and committed some criminal acts, none of which would paint him as a flattering neighbor. Eggleston's family members who joined law enforcement officials at the news conference included her aunt, Sanobia Wilson. Charles Hampton agreed to give up blood and hair samples to investigators. MS. NEBLING IS KNOWN TO FREQUENT THE TRAVELERS REST AND MARIETA COMMUNITES. 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.". ", 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.". It's hard not to compare the crime to that of Tiffany Nelson, a nine-year old that went missing from Augusta, Georgia in June of 1994. Police took Hampton out of jail, and drove him to many of the landmarks and locations from the child abductions. 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. When her sister, Renee, went home approximately twenty to thirty minutes later, she was surprised to find out that Kia had not yet returned. Remember, this is before the trial of OJ Simpson, so DNA testing was very much in its infancy. This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. - tattooed on his right shoulder. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the last time anyone saw Akia alive was on the afternoon of May 3, 2017. VON CANNON IS A TRANSIT AND COULD BE ANYWHERE. From Akia's FBI missing person's page: "If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI's Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080, the Baltimore City Police . 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. 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. However, with DNA testing being in its infancy, it would be years before they could definitively test the skull for forensic proof. 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. 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. They had held out hope that someone had abducted her for ransom, or perhaps - just perhaps - she actually had run away. 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. It's a town of roughly 20,000 people - a population level that hasn't really changed in over thirty years. I knew something was wrong then.. Baltimore Police continue to search for clues in her disappearance. ", "People are definitely keeping small children in. Riley, a famously tight-lipped officer, stated: "We're treating it strictly as a missing persons report. But when they first went to the Baltimore Police Department station in Cherry Hill to report her as missing, Wilson said that their pleas for help werent taken seriously. 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. So, she was not valued. She had one sister, named Renee, and the three lived in an apartment complex just north of Greenwood, South Carolina. 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. "In my mind, he has always been a suspect. We are also following up on similar situations that occur in this area and nationwide.". 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. 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. 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. 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., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Ex-pol charged with murdering Vegas reporter Jeff German will rep himself at trial, Murdaugh family still buried in temporary graves almost 2 years after slayings, Cops seized accused Idaho murderer Bryan Kohbergers underwear, medical gloves from parents home, Video shows gunman nonchalantly shoot homeless man execution-style in broad daylight, according to a statement of probable cause, dont get the same media attention as their white counterparts. However, it wasn't until 2002 that prosecutors began firing off the big guns at Hampton. It began to seem to police like he was making things up as he went along, but they were constantly reminded by the facts that something was amiss. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. "He'll get credit for time served and good behavior. Titled "The Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund," it hope to incentivize anyone with information to come forward. However, three - which took place in the middle of this crime spree - took place on a Thursday. The witnesses had described his hair as having a light glow to it, but they couldn't definitively see it. I had dreams that maybe she's been in California or somewhere all this time.". "The family seeks justice in Akia's case. Eggleston's stepfather, Shawn Wilkinson, welcomed news of the arrest. They all lived in housing close to the highway in-question, and they were all abducted from one location and led to another. 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. If you know anything, call the FBI's Baltimore office at 410-265-8080 or Baltimore Police at 410-396-2499. You see, despite being let go, he was arrested in 1996 after drilling some holes in the wall of the women's bathroom. 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.". 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.". Police have long theorized that the abduction - and later murder - of Kia Logan was a crime of opportunity. He'll be back on the street. The search continues for a missing college student in South Carolina who went kayaking on Christmas Day and never came home. The FBI is also involved and is offering a $25,000 reward for information about the case. They searched pretty exhaustively for around three weeks, unable to locate any more remains other than the skull. February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM 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. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Eggleston, who was eight months pregnant with her son, disappeared just days before her baby shower. In the probable cause statement, authorities allege that hours after withdrawing $450 in cash from the bank on May 3, Eggleston at the time a single mom with a 2-year-old daughter halted her frequent social media posts and contacts, including contact with her daughter. 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. 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. It took over a decade, but Kia's parents were finally given answers as to what had happened ot their daughter. 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. "We're looking for a medium blue utility-type van with dark tinted windows. Five years later, authorities arrested a suspect in the disappearance of a pregnant Baltimore woman. Michael Robertson, 41, was arrested in Michigan around 4 p.m. Tuesday in . 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 has been over a decade since there was any news or developments in the investigation, with it seeming to entering the pantheon of cold cases which will likely never be truly solved. Early on in questioning, Charles admitted that he often changed his hair color. And in that time, more terrifying and intriguing mysteries would present themselves. We began checking missing children cases and conducted three weeks of intensive searches for additional remains, but we didn't find anything.". By this point, her family had begun to fear the worst. Cherry Hill is a large park. In all of the sexual assaults, the victim profile remained largely the same. Despite that, police wouldn't have any real leads to follow up on until October of the next year, 1990. Hampton confessed to committing three child abductions in a northern Georgia town, and even confessed to killing a child out on a farm. It was this apartment complex where, on a Sunday evening in the middle of May, everything seemed right with the world. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN SEARCHING FOR HER FOR OVER A YEAR. Over the coming weeks, the leads that Sheriff Giles Daniel was excited about began to dry up, either leading to dead ends or going nowhere at all. 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 said at the time they had invested more than 1,000 man-hours into the case. We should have gotten the resources in the beginning, Wilson told WMAR-2 News in early November 2021. Milwaukee police are asking the public to help find a critical missing 15-year-old in Milwaukee. MS. NEBLING IS A WHITE FEMALE, BLOND HAIR, 5'5 AND SLIM BUILT. Major Sam Riley was stated: "Our department, as well as SLED and FBI personnel, are still actively investigating. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. That evening, Eggleston had shared a sonogram picture on Facebook. Courtesy of FBI About an hour later, Robertson's phone moved away from Eggleston's apartment and headed toward downtown Baltimore as. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. The County Bank is accepting and receipting donations. Wilson told WJZ that she wishes law enforcement did more to investigate the case when Eggleston disappeared. For nearly five years, the people of Baltimore have searched, hoped and mourned with Akias family and friends, she said. He also brought attention to an issue that is all too common. Akia Eggleston . 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. 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. He faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty. 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. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. 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