Despite this overwhelming sadness experienced by Bernetta and her family at this moment in time, the article had a profound effect on the community. HER FAMILY IS CONCERNED BECAUSE HASN'T CONTACTED ANYONE IN SOME TIME. It is not the answer and there's always an alternative," he said at the news conference. No closure. It remains ongoing. Investigators allege the 41-year-old sent Eggleston pictures of an apartment interior on May 2, 2017. 8th Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace, who had replaced William Townes Jones in the preceding half-decade, had plenty to say about this decision. Sheriff Foster continued: "We are reasonably sure, at this point, the skull was not dug from a grave." Soon, the one-year anniversary of Kia's disappearance had come-and-gone. 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. For keeping hope for our family that we would find her alive. However, the criminal trial would never come to be. By Thursday, May 19th, the mood in the Georgetown apartment complex had changed dramatically. 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. This not being enough, the skull would later be sent to an FBI lab in 1998. They wanted to take their time, and waited until his holding period for the 1995 warrant was nearing its end to finally strike. Wilkinson said he feels the pain every day. 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. 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. 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. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 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. The FBI is also involved and is offering a $25,000 reward for information about the case. DNA testing didn't match him in one of the Georgia cases. Akia Eggleston . BALTIMORE Since the very beginning, finding 22-year-old Akia Eggleston has been considered 'critical.'. It all pointed to a very confusing puzzle, which police didn't know how to make sense of. The sketch came from the witness sightings of the second person-of-interest, who had been driving the dark mid-70's model Monte Carlo. florida. BALTIMORE . They had reason to believe that Hampton had been responsible for some truly terrible crimes, but they had no prove any of them. Sending it off for testing, they had to hope that they could uncover any evidence that could help lead them to the culprit. 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. One of the most intriguing and promising leads in this investigation came on that Wednesday night, May 18th, when a composite sketch of a potential suspect was aired on the evening news. I think it's important to note this, not because I definitively believe him to be the person responsible for Kia Logan's abduction or murder. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. That woman had recently given birth to the couple's second child, Mosby said. 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. 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. He was accused of intentionally drilling the holes to Peep on unwitting victims, and arrested shortly after this was discovered. The exact date of Akia's disappearance is unknown, but it is believed to be May 3 rd , 2017. Investigators need your help. The composite, for all of its intrigue, led to no real suspects in the surrounding area. 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.". He had been previously terminated due to unexcused absences and excessive tardiness, but that didn't stop him from getting into trouble. They had held out hope that someone had abducted her for ransom, or perhaps - just perhaps - she actually had run away. "Every time I open up the evidence room door, I see the bike and it's haunted me. It was her last known communication. 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. We split up into four groups and walked through the woods, through trash, through dirt, Wilson explained. He described not only his sex life - which included sex with both genders - but his prior criminal history. Prosecutors, once-confident that the case against him was looking rock-solid, were now worried about not having enough evidence against him. Woman Found Dead in Park Charged with Murder, Suspect in Death of Pregnant Mom Found Next to Car with Son Inside Was Recently Acquitted of Unrelated Murder, 2 Arrested in Alleged 'Racially Motivated' Plot to Attack Maryland Power Grid, Missing Tenn. February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM 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. 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. Eggleston was 22 years old, eight months pregnant and the mother to a 2-year-old daughter when she disappeared in May 2017. Officers are looking for Brianna Lee Roller . We had no help, no resources. 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. UPDATE: Arrest Made In Disappearance Of Pregnant Mom Akia Eggleston; Missing Since 2017. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN SEARCHING FOR HER FOR OVER A YEAR. 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. How can we send such a message? The 22-year-olds case is featured in HBOs new docuseries Black and Missing. Crime Stoppers encourages anyone with information about the cases featured below to submit a webtip. Upon his arrest, he proved very cooperative with law enforcement. As the hunter walked along a pasture fence, he stumbled upon a small object resembling a human skull. 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. 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They were just a few hundred or so yards from their apartment, where the sisters lived with their mother, a middle school teacher. It was a crime where no sexual assault had taken place, but centered around the abduction of a seven-year old victim in 1995. However, Kia lived with her mother, Bernetta Logan Baylor, who was a teacher at a nearby middle school. "We're also looking for a faded dark blue or black Monte Carlo, a mid-70's model. 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. It hasn't been updated with any of his current information. 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. On the day of Eggleston's shower, family members said they found her apartment nearly cleaned out. "I was there Monday and when I left and went to work and when I came back my s--- was packed for me," he said. Robertson was the father of Akias unborn child. Baltimore Police continue to search for clues in her disappearance. He faces a maximum penalty of two life sentences in prison if found guilty. Malakia Zali Logan, most commonly called by her nickname, Kia, was born on August 1st, 1979. IE 11 is not supported. ", First published on February 3, 2022 / 11:30 PM. In May 2021, the Baltimore Police Department again asked for help locating Eggleston. "For nearly five years the people of Baltimore have searched, hoped and mourned with Akia's family and friends, but they never gave up, and neither did we," Thomas J. Sobocinski, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore office, said in a news release announcing Robertson's arrest. Phone records indicate Robertson was in the area near Eggleston's residence from 5:35 p.m. to 6:18 p.m., Mosby said. So, she was not valued. In late 2017, Robertson moved to Michigan, where he was apprehended by U.S. December 19 2013. 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. Akia, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, was eight months pregnant when she vanished four days before her baby shower was to take . This meant that police were pretty confident that the skull had been intentionally left there. Newberry County Memorial Hospital forensic pathologist Dr. Keene Garvin reiterated this finding, stating - after preliminary testing had been conducted - that the skull was likely placed there are the body had decomposed. You can also contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at (803) 737-9000. Authorities allege Eggleston and Robertson were texting back and forth on May 3, the day law enforcement officials now believe she was killed. "As a result of interviews we are now looking for two men and two vehicles. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Hi, my name is Akia and thanks for visiting my page. They all decided to put the money to good use, allowing education or nursing majors to receive the scholarship in times of hardship. As an adult, he stood about five-feet-eight-inches tall, weighing it at only 132 pounds. This meant that investigators now had half-a-decade to try and work out a case against him. Over the next week, the letter written by Dr. Wiggins inspired many to pledge support to the Malakia Z. Logan Reward Fund. Hampton plead not guilty almost instantly. He also brought attention to an issue that is all too common. Michael Robertson has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. 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. A follow-up news article stated how employees of the local K-Mart, so moved by Wiggins' battle cry, raised $650 within an hour. 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. But its been four years since Eggleston went missing, and Wilson wishes law enforcement had done more from the start. THEY BELIEVE SHE WAS HAS UNDIAGNOSED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BUT THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. Cherry Hill is a large park. Theron Wallace, 20, went missing on Christmas morning while he was kayaking on Lake Carolina After nearly a week of searching, his family has hired a private investigator to assist the South. I had dreams that maybe she's been in California or somewhere all this time.". BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It has been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. Milwaukee police are asking the public to help find a critical missing 15-year-old in Milwaukee. She was last seen on May 3 when she was captured on . However, it wasn't until 2002 that prosecutors began firing off the big guns at Hampton. He included details, some of which convinced police that he had involvement, but others they viewed skeptically. Neither she nor the child have turned up since then. An eight-year-old girl that lived in this community was out playing with her sister and a friend on their apartment complex's basketball court. Akia's family became alarmed when the 21-year-old failed to show up to her own baby shower on May 3. SHE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO LIVE OR VISIT ON THE WESTISIDE OF GREENVILLE COUNTY AND LAURENS COUNTY. It took over a decade, but Kia's parents were finally given answers as to what had happened ot their daughter. 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. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Unfortunately, the searches came up with no sign of Kia, or any clue as to what had happened to her. That's really bad for the family. Dennis Beauford, one of the first deputies to arrive at the scene, stated: "It was a pretty Sunday afternoon. It's a town of roughly 20,000 people - a population level that hasn't really changed in over thirty years. 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. 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. 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. This means that, between the time of his plea and now, Charles Wade Hampton has likely served his time and since been released. / CBS Baltimore. 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. Using a reverse image search, investigators determined the apartment picture Robertson had sent the day before was a completely different residence from the one he had named. 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. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Robertson falsely led Eggleston to believe they were going to move in together.. Akia Shawnta Eggleston was reported missing on May 7, 2017. Egglestons phone, while in the same area as Robertsons, was then disabled or turned off after an unanswered call possibly from a telemarketer. An individual charged is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial., At Thursdays press conference, Baltimore States Attorney Mosby said, I give a special thanks to the family of Akia Eggleston, for never giving up in their pursuit of justice for Akia and her unborn child., Supervisory Special Agent Shayne Buchwald with FBI-Baltimore also spoke. 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. "Let me also say this to the people of Baltimore City: Our pursuit of justice is unyielding. I don't know where my child is and I don't know where my grandson is.". It was only about 14 of us. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. It's been four years since Akia Eggleston was last seen in Baltimore on May 3, 2017. Akia Eggleston with her daughter. So, he'll be back on the street. 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