Kierstyn Williamson missing Laurens, South Carolina found dead in murder case with 2 suspects, Joshua Newton and Victoria Smith arrested. Killed during online dating meet up.
North Carolina authorities have arrested a man and woman after finding a body that is believed to be that of a missing 18-year-old female, in what authorities describe as a homicide case.
Deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the disappearance of 18-year-old Kierstyn Williamson of Laurens, South Carolina on Sunday, July 2, after she was reported missing by family members to Laurens County authorities.
Williamson was last seen and heard from on June 30 at a home on Bethpage Lane in Monroe, according to deputies.
Killed after online dating meet-up
Deputies said after 36 hours of an extensive search they found the body of a woman believed to be Williamson in Union County, North Carolina. Officials said they are waiting for confirmation from the medical examiner.
Two suspects, 25-year-old Joshua Newton and 22-year-old Victoria Smith, were later taken into custody following the investigation.
Newton is charged with first degree murder and obstruction of justice while Smith is charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact, FOX Carolina reported.
Investigators said the victim was killed after meeting someone through an online dating site, WSOC-TV reported.
Investigators said Williamson had been talking to a man online, and that the two planned to meet in person for the first time Friday night. They said Joshua Newton picked Williamson near the restaurant where she worked in Laurens and drove her back to his home in Monroe — more two hours away.
‘She was a very, very, trusting’
Told Williamson’s uncle, Chad Bible: ‘She was a very, very, trusting — she didn’t see the evil in the world. That didn’t register with her, that wasn’t a thing with her.’
Adding, ‘If people were her friends online, that was her friend. That was the way she was. She would have definitely seen them as somebody she could trust by being nice to her.’
‘My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim in this case as they begin to mourn this unimaginable loss. Over the past several days, the men and women of the Union County Sheriff’s Office have fully dedicated themselves to this case and ensuring the people responsible for this tragic loss were brought to justice,’ said Sheriff Eddie Cathey in a release.
This is an ongoing investigation. If anyone has information regarding this homicide, call 911 or 704-283-3789 or 704-283-5600.
