South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agents made a detainee in connection with a murder case … 44 years ago. According to an agency press release, 65 years old Charles Ugvine Coleman Whitmire, SC is facing a murder charge and a “diverse” charge in connection with the March 20, 1976 murder of Elizabeth Ann Howell Wilson.
Wilson, 45, was reported missing from her shift at the closed Eureka plant, operated by Springs Mills in Chester, SC
“His body and the stolen vehicle (were) later located in Fairfield County, near the intersection of Ashford Ferry Road and Dave Jenkins Road,” noted the SLED statement.
“She was sexually abused, strangled and beaten,” added the statement.
A statement of probable cause accompanying Coleman’s arrest warrant on charges of murder alleged that he killed Wilson “for strangulation and blunt trauma”. A separate probable cause statement on the “mixed” arrest warrant alleged that Coleman “violated” Wilson “forcefully”.
According to our sources, this “diverse” charge was brought up due to the fact that the sexual assault laws in the State of Palmetto have undergone a considerable update in the years since this crime occurred.
(Click to view)
20201022-NR084_SLED-ARREST-MAN-FOR-1976-MURDER-10-22-2020-1
(Via: SLED)
According to SLED, a “recent forensic discovery” allowed the agency to determine that Coleman was involved in this crime. Specifically, his recent arrest on an unrelated charge led to his DNA being uploaded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) national DNA index system – or CODIS.
SLED regularly checks the DNA of filed cases for new entries in the database, and this time, one of these searches produced a match.
“We achieved a success”, SLED spokesperson Tommy Crosby for us.
SLED continued to “work (in this) case for years” with the assistance of the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, according to its disclosure.
“Our forensic agents and specialists work hard and are dedicated to doing justice to those who commit crimes against our citizens”, head of SLED Mark Keel said in a statement. “Whether the crime was recent or occurred more than forty years ago, we will not stop trying to resolve the case. I appreciate the teamwork shown by everyone to help close the Wilson family. “
The SLED release included an appeal to the public – specifically asking anyone with “information that can further assist in this investigation” to contact the agency at 803-896-2605.
The issuance of an appeal appears to indicate that this investigation is ongoing and that further arrests and / or charges may occur.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Coleman is found not guilty until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until he wishes to pursue legal action against any of the charges against him.
Coleman was charged at the Fairfield County Detention Center. Your case will be processed by the SC Sixth Circuit attorney’s office Randy E. Newman Jr.
-FITSNews
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