Man Eyed in Missing S.C. Woman Case May Go Free
Aug. 9, 2005 — -- A person of interest in the disappearance of a South Carolina woman could be released from custody on unrelated charges by the end of this week, and the woman's family has raised a reward in hopes of generating more clues.
Tamika Huston, 24 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen June 2, 2004, at a friend's house in South Carolina. Because she lived alone, relatives did not realize she was missing until June 14.
A person of interest has been held in jail for an unrelated federal probation violation but authorities have not had enough evidence to charge him in Huston's disappearance. The man -- whose name has not been released -- is scheduled to be released Aug. 12 when he finishes serving his time for the violation. Huston's relatives have raised the reward for information on her whereabouts from $30,000 to $50,000 in hopes of buffering the case against the person of interest and formally bringing criminal charges against him.
"We met with the police and the solicitor who would prosecute the case and they brought us up to speed on where they stood," said Rebkah Howard, Huston's aunt. "They gave us a pretty lengthy presentation on what they done in the investigation from day one to that day [the day of the meeting]. We are just hoping that the reward will help in getting any information on her whereabouts in anticipation of the person of interest getting out of prison. But we have confidence the investigation is moving in the right direction."
Man Dated Huston
The man met and started dating Huston shortly before her disappearance, authorities said. Investigators had talked to the acquaintance throughout their investigation and began considering him a person of interest when they uncovered blood matching Huston's DNA at the man's former residence in January.
Spartanburg Public Safety Department officials would not comment on whether they planned to formally charge the person of interest. They say they have received sporadic new leads throughout the investigation and are continuing to follow various clues.
"There's no new information that we're releasing at this time. It's still on ongoing investigation," said Lt. Steve Lamb. "We're working on it every day in different areas We're sending out dog teams to various areas."
It took some time for family members to realize Huston was missing because she was single, lived alone and had recently quit her job as a waitress. Police found Huston's cell phone, three uncashed checks and her driver's license when they searched her home. Her pregnant pet pit bull, Macy -- who friends and relatives say Huston treated like a child -- had given birth and eaten most of her puppies. Huston's car was found a week after she was reported missing, parked at an apartment complex.
Huston's relatives have said she was happy before she disappeared and would not have just run away. They said it wasn't unusual for her to spontaneously visit relatives and extended family in Florida and along the East Coast, but she would always tell someone where she was going.
Huston's family is confident that authorities are working hard to gather as much evidence as possible in their quest to find Tamika and build a case against the man -- if he is the person responsible for her fate.
"We know they want to gather as much information as they possibly can," said Howard. "I think they're weighing the rewards versus the risks of waiting until after the person of interest is released to charge him -- whether he will flee, whether he will make a mistake and trip himself up. Some may be concerned over whether he could harm someone else. This could be their one shot at trying him."
Family Hopes for the Best, Braces for the Worst
Relatives want Huston to be found alive. But the blood evidence recovered in January and the time that has passed since Huston's disappearance have braced family members for the worst news and they just want a resolution to the case.
"Just riding through the areas where police have searched and thinking that Tamika is someplace out there … it's been emotionally draining," Howard said. "It's been extremely difficult. I think Tamika's mother at this point just wants to be able to lay her daughter to rest respectfully, if she can. You still have hope that one that Tamika will turn up and turn up alive, but we really don't see that at this point."
The Spartanburg Department of Public Safety asks that anyone who has information regarding Huston's disappearance contact investigators at (864) 596-2035 or CrimeStoppers at (864) 58-CRIME. More information about the search for Huston can be found at www.tamikahuston.com, a Web site set up by her friends and relatives.