SC man charged with murder in disappearance, presumed death of missing Wilmington woman

Chase Jordan and John Orona, Wilmington StarNews
·3 min read
KC JOHNSON
KC JOHNSON

KC Johnson's mother said her transgender child was the most caring, loving, and giving person she'd ever known.

"You want to laugh, KC was the person to make that happen," Dawn Buchanan stated in a Facebook post about Johnson. "You want an in-depth conversation, KC was your go to."

According to the Wilmington Police Department, Johnson was killed in the 1300 block of King Street on Friday. The 27-year-old was last seen in the 1900 block of Tradd Court and reported missing the following day.

More:After body of missing Wilmington teen found, murder charge for suspect

William Haven Hicks, 26, of South Carolina, was arrested in Myrtle Beach on Wilmington charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping in connection to the disappearance, the WPD said.

Hicks is being held in jail there without bail. According to reports, he appeared in Horry County court on Thursday and waived his rights to an extradition hearing.

Police believe Johnson and Hicks met recently on social media. In the mother's public Facebook post, Buchanan urged people to be cautious of using online apps.

"To anyone out there in the transgender community please, please stay off of Grindr there are sick people out there just ready and waiting to prey for whatever reason," she said. "If you do choose to meet anybody off of social media and this goes for everybody, please do so in a public place arrive separately and leave separately. Always let somebody know where you are at all times. KCs best friend had a GPS tracker on the phone and still lost contact. We live in a sick, sick world. Nobody deserves any of this, especially KC."

The victim was last seen Friday, Jan. 13, on the 1900 block of Tradd Court, according to police reports.
The victim was last seen Friday, Jan. 13, on the 1900 block of Tradd Court, according to police reports.

She added that her family lost "an amazing talented loving piece of our hearts."

There is no confirmation from police about what specific social media apps may have been used around the time of Johnson's disappearance.

Amber Winnecoff, Johnson's sister, organized an online fundraiser Wednesday for funeral expenses.

"We spent (four and a half) days without knowing and our worst fears have become a reality," she wrote on the fundraising page.

Word of Hicks' arrest came the same day officials in Georgia announced the discovery of a body there, saying in a news release the Wilmington Police Department was the lead on the case. As of Thursday afternoon, WPD officials would not confirm if the remains are Johnson. Positive identification and a cause of death are awaiting an autopsy, officials said.

According to a news release from the Chatham County Police Department, the remains were found in a rocky area on the edge of the Savannah River near a sugar refinery there.

WPD spokesperson Brandon Shope and Lt. Leslie Irving said the department is working in conjunction with Georgia law enforcement.

"We can't confirm at this time if that's the body," Shope said. "We are working in conjunction with them to see if this possibly could be our missing person."

Police are asking for anyone with information to contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609 or use the WPD Tip411 app.

"The Wilmington Police Department sends our condolences to the victim's family and friends during this difficult time," said in a news release.

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Reporter Chase Jordan can be reached at cjjordan@gannett.com. Reporter John Orona can be reached at 910-343-2327 or jorona@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Man charged with murder of missing transgender Wilmington woman