Police: Man killed SC woman in random attack

Roundabout via Nancy

WCNC
Verbatim Post

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. -- The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said they've charged a man with murder after he abducted a woman from a convenience store on Monday.

Kershaw County sheriff Jim Matthews says 23-year-old Nickolas Miller spotted 30-year-old Beverly Melton at Jacks store in Jefferson, S.C.

The clerk there told NewsChannel 36 Miller held the door for her as she came in. Miller apparently sat in his car and waited for her to leave. Surveillance cameras at the store show he followed her.

Police reports show Melton called her grandmother frightened, saying a man was following her. When her grandparents couldn’t reach her back, they went looking and found her car in a ditch, several miles from the store.

The car was still running and her purse was inside. Investigators went back to the store, found the video and put out a BOLO (be on the lookout) for Miller’s car.

They found it later that day and authorities say Miller told them he’d kidnapped Melton and sexually assaulted her. He also told them he beat her to death with the aluminum baseball bat that he found in his car.

Sheriff Matthews said, “I went out to the scene late last night – one of most brutal I’ve seen, she was badly beaten. It was pretty vicious.”

Matthews said Miller led the Chesterfield County sheriff to Melton’s body. They had to use a helicopter and infrared to find her because it was such a remote location.

The crimes took place in Kershaw and Chesterfield counties so the two agencies are working the case together.

Miller is charged with murder and will soon face sexual assault and kidnapping charges in both counties as well.