Every Town - Aiken County, SC - The Mysterious Shaw Creek Killings

Episode Date: November 13, 2021

💥Get the podcast version - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1235213It is ingrained in all of us, to appreciate natural beauty and all over the world there are places and towns that stick out for one reason or another. Aiken County, located near the mid-point of South Carolina's 250-mile border with Georgia, is famous for its lush gardens, hundreds of rare camellias, and thoroughbred horse racing. It’s a pretty place, that’s generally however, from 1986 to 1993, a series of murders defamed the name of Aiken County and changed how many locals will forever view it. Regrettably, these crimes have become an indelible mark for the county because the crimes have remained unresolved for decades. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love true crime, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a dose of creepy true crime every single morning with a morning cup of murder. This short daily show is the perfect podcast to incorporate into your morning routine because in less than 15 minutes, you'll hear about a true crime that took place on a day's date in history. Each day's dark history lesson will kickstart your morning with intriguing tales of murder, abduction, serial killers, cults, and everything in between.

With over 20 million downloads, Morning Cup of Murder has something for every true crime lover. One listener describes the show as a small package with a powerful punch of crime. Another writes that the show is an absolute delight in the morning. Support yourself a piping hot cup of murder every single morning with Morning Cup of Murder. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everytown has a dark. Parkside. Today we had Aiken County, which is in South Carolina, where we check out the mysterious murders of four women known as the Shaw Creek Killings. It's ingrained in all of us to appreciate

natural beauty. And all over the world, there are places and towns that stick out for one reason or another. Aiken County, located near the midpoint of South Carolina's 250-mile border with Georgia. is famous for its lush gardens, hundreds of rare chameleas, and thoroughbred horse racing. It's a pretty place, no doubt. However, from 1986 to 1993, a series of vicious murders defamed the name of Aiken County

and changed how many locals will forever view it. Regrettably, these crimes have become an indelible mark for the county because the murders have remained unsolved for decades. Hi, I'm Andrew Fitzgerald and welcome to this week's episode of Everytown that will shed more light on the mysterious killings of four women that happened within the vicinity of Shaw Creek and Aiken County, South Carolina. Two of the victims have been identified, Jacqueline Counsel, who went missing in 1986,

and Rustin Durden, who vanished in 1989, while the two others are still James. Dose. So what were the circumstances surrounding their disappearances and eventual deaths, and what has been done to resolve their cases over the past 34 years? Victim number one of the Shaw Creek Killings was a black woman named Jacqueline Marie Counsel, often called Jackie, to was a mother, four children, who 20 days after turning 30 years old went missing on November 10, 1986. That day, Jackie dropped off her youngest child, five-year-old boy, to school, and that became the last time she was ever seen alive. Her goodbye to her son became definitive as she was reported

missing by her family later that evening. But they didn't attain closure for over a decade. Almost five years after Jackie suddenly disappeared into thin air, a body of a dead woman was found on March 22nd, 1991. A group of loggers were cutting down pine trees in an area off South Carolina Highway 191 near Shaw Creek when they discovered the remains. Shaw Creek spawns from the South Fork of Disto River, one of North America's longest rivers. It carries water all the way from just north of Aiken State Park out to the area north of Trenton, South Carolina. For approximately 32 miles, Shaw Creek carries water into other creeks, ponds,

and rivers. It's surrounded by forests, which hold almost as many secrets as the creek itself. And that day on March 22nd, one of its secrets was revealed. At around 10.30 a.m. that day, the Aiken County Sheriff's Department was notified about the discovery of the skeletal remains. Police responded to the scene 30 minutes later and started examining the area for clues. According to Sue Townsend, the Aiken County Coroner, the new body that was recovered by the loggers had been at that creek for years. However, authorities didn't release much details about the remains, including the cause of death to the public.

They weren't able to gather substantial clues. Added to this, the remains had deteriorated so bad. badly that determining the victim's identity proved to be a difficult task and took a considerable amount of time. During the latter part of 1993, a facial reconstruction of the remains was released, which enabled the public, especially the residents of Aiken and Augusta, to get a glimpse of the unknown dead woman. Many had said it resembled Jackie Counsel, but it hadn't been proven conclusively that it was indeed her. So in 1997, a forensic pathologist from the University of South Carolina helped out with the investigation.

Using what was then cutting-edge technology, this pathologist was able to superimpose a photo of Jackie Counsel over the skull of the body found in March of 91. After reviewing the results, the forensic expert concluded the woman was likely Jackie Counsel. Police didn't rest on their laurels, though, despite this breakthrough, and they continued to find a way that would further confirm the identity of the victim. In November of 1999, they tested the DNA of the remains and compared it to the DNA of Jackie's son, to filio. Finally, then, on November 16th, the family of Jackie Council, who had been holding out hope for their missing loved one for over 13 years, received their most away. waited answer. The remains, indeed, belonged to Jackie. Her mother, of course, had always hoped that she was alive and well all along. After Jackie vanished, a rumor circulated that she had run away on a boat, which perhaps gave her mom a tinge of hope that her daughter would come back one day.

They found Jackie at last, but their reunion was in the most tragic of circumstances. It took one year for Shaw Creek to claim victim number two, who has remained anonymous up until this day. It was on a fateful Monday morning, November 16, 1987, when a pair of hunters were combing the woods south of Eureka, South Carolina. There were roughly a mile and a half south of the intersection where Highway 191 and 208 met, the roads called Johnson Highway and Mount Cavalry Road, respectively. As the hunters were coming across a patch of forest, not more than a stones throw away from the Shaw Creek, they found something that caught them by surprise. A woman's skeletal remains, lying face down with the legs crossed and the arms outstretched. The remains have been left there without clothes or any belongings.

When police arrived, they noted that the lifeless body looked deliberately positioned in that manner. Obviously, it was left there for some time as roots were growing over the bones of the fingers and there was no trace of any insects or bugs near them. It implied that the remains had decomposed at least a year earlier and had been left there between one to five years. Her remains were decomposed to the point the police were unable to find any more evidence. Investigators determined that several bones from the foreman, foot were missing, as well as a hyoid bone from the neck.

Local police were assisted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in searching the area for clues. Using a metal detector, they would find just two. The first was a brass shell casing recovered from the soil underneath the skeleton, which contained no paper or plastic, indicating that it was an older shell. It had been fired from a shotgun, and the second clue was the hair of the woman's body that tested positive for cocaine. This would have paved some opportunities for investigators to locate her identity, but over time they suspected that she was a missing sex worker or drug addict

from the South Carolina in northern Georgia area. As the investigation of the second victim progressed in the succeeding months, authorities led by Aiken County Coroner, Sue Townsend, were able to determine specific details, mostly physical in nature. Just like Jackie Counsel, who was found dead in the same area a year prior, the second body belonged to a black woman. She stood between 5'8 and 5 foot 10, weighing in at approximately 150 to 160 pounds. The scar tissue from her remains could have meant that she had led an active life to say the least. The left side of her nose had likely been fractured at some point and then it healed.

Also, there appeared to be a mended injury to a right knee. Furthermore, the first molar on the lower right side of her mouth had been removed early in life. She had at least four other teeth missing at the time of her death, and she had a pronounced overbite. Nearly two years later, in July of 1989, a facial reconstruction was created. given the public an idea of how the second victim looked like, but no one has been able to identify her for the past three decades. Thus, her true identity remains an enigma for the perplexed investigators. The second victim of the Shaw Creek killings has come to be known as the 1987 Aiken County Jane Doe. The unfortunate fates of Jackie Council in 1986 and an unidentified

woman in 1987 were duplicated in 1989. Ristine Durden, a black woman from Avera, Jefferson County, in Georgia. It just turned 29 years old on February 6th of that year. More than a month later, on March 13th, Restine vanished without a trace from her Avera home and eventually ended up as victim number three in the notorious Shaw Creek killings. Avera is a very small, with a population of just over 200. And it's about 45 minutes to an hour southwest of Augusta, Georgia. One can reach Aiken County, South Carolina from Augusta, by traveling for approximately 20 miles.

In March of 1992, skeletal remains were discovered near Uncle Duck Road in Aiken County. This area, just off of Mount Pleasant Road and nearby Sawyer's Pond and Gilly, Creek is about 15 miles away from where the bodies of Jackie Council and the 1987 Jane Doe were found. There may be a geographical difference between the first two crimes and the third one, but Mustine definitely fit the profile of the Shaw Creek victims. She was a black woman in her late 20s or early 30s from the same area, went missing under unknown circumstances and was found naked and dead near a body of water.

She wasn't identified yet when her remains were found in March of 1992, when authorities conducted a forensic reproduction of her profile and had it published in the Augusta Chronicle, which is the area's largest newspaper. Restine's relatives recognized it and contacted the authorities. Since she had disappeared in 1989, Rustin's family had been anxious for updates, so the publication of her facial reconstruction.

was a major step in finding out what really happened to her. In February of 93, she was positively identified through dental records. A month later, a University of South Carolina Columbia professor in forensic anthropology and several undergraduate students along with the county's corner, Sue Townsend, and local police, scoured the Uncle Duck Road area looking for more of Ristine's remains and possible additional evidence. The group didn't uncover much except for several bone fragments which belonged to Ristine. By completing a puzzle, the bones were affixed to her remains.

Coroner Townsend said, We have to put this together as to why she was put where she was. She added that police had determined Ristine had died of gunshot wounds, but no further details were ever disclosed. Ms. Townsend added, Because we have all these black females found without clothing, we are not excluding the possibility that there still could be a relationship with other cases.

It's never known who killed her and why, so the puzzle that is Christine Durdon is still yet to be solved. They say bad luck comes in threes, or three successive, ghastly murders in the case of Aiken County in South Carolina. After the death of the third victim, Ristine Durden, people in the area hoped for a rainbow of peace to light up in the skies. But unbeknownst to them, the worst had yet to come.

And it did, almost one year after Ristine's remains were discovered in 1992. On January 25th, 1993, at around 9.45 a.m. Another lifeless body was found near Shaw Creek off a highway, 191. close to the border between Aiken and Edgefield counties, just like its three predecessors. This fourth victim shared some similar circumstances with them. She was also a black female whose remains were left in the woods without any piece of clothing or belonging nearby. But there was a stark difference in her case that set her apart from the misfortune of Jackie Council, the 1987 Jane Doe and Restine Durden.

The fourth victim appeared to have been reburied in these woods and then burned. Based on the state of her decomposition, police theorized that whoever she was, she had been killed in another location around the period between 1990 and 1992, allowed to decompose for an undetermined amount of time, and then moved and burned into the woods surrounding Shaw Creek. At that point, she had been burned, removing all of the body's soft tissues such as the hair, eyes, cartilage, and more which could have been crucial in determining the fourth victim's identity. Thus, it made the investigation much more difficult.

County coroner, Sue Townsend, determined that the victim's body had been left to rot in the woods anywhere between two and five years. Moreover, forensic examinations show that. that the fourth victim died due to a wound in the back of her neck, which was most likely caused by stabbing, as indicated in the police reports. Setting the victim's body on fire caused an impediment in the investigation, yet authorities were able to create a facial reconstruction and come up with the profile of the victim. She had been in the approximate age range of 25 to 32, stood between between 5 foot 4 and 5 foot 7 with a slight to medium build.

She was right-handed and had a set of protruding teeth. Four months later, Sue Townsend, Deputy Coroner Tim Carlton, and Aiken County Sheriff's Investigator Robert Johnson, went back out to the woods along Shaw Creek, hoping to find more clues or the victim's remains. The trio were able to find a tooth, or at least a part of one, several bone fragments and a vertebrae from the victim's spine. They also used a metal detector, hoping to come across another shell casing or a piece of evidence,

but they weren't lucky enough to find one. She remained unidentified, and just like the second victim, the fourth casualty had been tagged as the 1993 Aiken County Jane Doe, with four unresolved cases of murders in their jurisdiction. Aiken County authorities struggled to make any real progress with no major leads seeming to develop. However, in 1994, police received one of their first real tips, which came from a neighboring state's police department. On March 15, 1994, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office was tipped off about a criminal named Frank Potts, who may be the person of interest in what was beginning to look

like a serial killer investigation. He was a migrant worker who had lived in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. His work had enabled him to travel to Illinois and Pennsylvania as well. As a loner, Frank preferred to live in a small cabin far away from civilization in northern Alabama. He was nice to his neighbors, offering them a helping hand when they were in need, but all these were outweighed by his dark side. He served jail time from 1982 to 1988 for molesting an 11-year-old Florida girl. His despicable act was repeated then in 1994, and he was finally sent to jail for life. He would have to serve a minimum of 25 years in jail for the repeat offense, but that wasn't the end of his legal issues. When authorities searched Frank's Alabama law, they found the body of Robert

Earl Jins, who went missing in April of 1989. Robert was likewise a migrant worker who traveled with Frank. The latter was convicted to a second life sentence because of this. Despite the overwhelming evidence and convictions, Frank denied any allegations of murder and maintained that he had never killed anyone in America. Obviously, though, no one believed him. Authorities surmised that Frank may have committed between things. 13 to 15 additional murders in various states, including the Shaw Creek Killings.

But Frank was eliminated as a suspect, as no evidence directly linked him to the deaths of Jackie Counsel and the others. Another potential suspect in the Shaw Creek Killings was a man named Joseph Washington, who lived in Augusta, Georgia, and worked for the Merry Brick Brickyards. He was arrested in 1993 for a series of abduction. rape and attempted murders of a handful of young women in the Augusta area. He kidnapped his victims at gunpoint, ordered them to get into his car, and then he took them to a second location. He would sexually assault them and then fatally shoot his captives in the stomach. Joseph targeted young black women with short hair, whose ages range between

the late teens to the late 30s. Similar to the way that the women were left in the shopping, Creek area, his victims were often left without any clothes or belongings. Police theorized that he may have been responsible for the deaths of two women from Augusta, Marilyn Kelly, and Loretta Dukes. Joseph was sentenced to 17 consecutive life sentences in 1995 for a slew of criminal convictions, including the abductions and sexual assaults of five women, three of whom were shot at the. survived between 1991 and 1993. He also faced a death penalty trial in Maryland slang.

Although he was suspected in Loretta's death, Joseph was not indicted due to lack of evidence. He died in prison in 1999 before the trial started, allegedly due to AIDS. Many have theorized that Joseph may have been the perpetrator and more than just those crimes, including the disappearance of Augusta Teen Twins, Dennett and Jeanette Milbrook in March of 1990, and, of course, the Shaw Creek killings. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took DNA from Joseph's three vehicles in his home, which they still have on file. Only time will tell whether interest in the case spurs the GBI to test that DNA against the separate cases of both the Milbrook twins' disappear. appearance and the Shaw Creek killings. In 2011, local police at Jackie Council, Ristine Durdon,

and the two Aiken County Jane Does, might have been victims of a serial killer truck driver named John Wayne Boyer. It was quite hard for many to reconcile that he was a criminal because of his grandfatherly Santa Clausish appearance. He stood about five feet, seven inches tall, weighed close to 300 pounds, and sported, bald head with a big beard full of graying white hair. He was arrested in 2006 at his mother's house in the Augusta area after he had been found guilty of the 2003 disappearance and slang of Scarlet Wood, a hotel room made in North Carolina. Her body was found in 2004 but was identified in 2006.

However, during his interrogation, John showed. aggressive behavior and at one point audaciously asked, what bitch are you hear about? Thus, police theorized that John may have been responsible for more crimes. Eventually, he also admitted to killing and dumping the body of Jennifer Smith, a Tennessee sex worker he had picked up in 2005. Authorities in South Carolina also said that he admitted to dumping more remains off Interstate 20 2000. These crimes earned John, the unflattering nickname, the long-haul territory killer. His emergence has inspired Aiken County to publicly state that the killer of the four Aiken County victims may have been a long-haul trucker. Local police pursued possible links between John

and all the unsolved female deaths in the area, but their efforts yielded negative results. John was released from a North Carolina prison in July of 2015 and transferred to Tennessee, where in December of that year, he began another murder sentence of 30 years. 34 years have passed since the first Shaw Creek victim, Jackie Counsel, unjustly lost her life to a brutish murder. Yet, the police seemed to be no closer today than they were in 1986 in solving the case of Jackie and those that came after. Theories abound about the murders, but when will they turn into irrefutable truths that will finally close this grim chapter in Aiken County's history?

Until then, the Shaw Creek Killings will linger as a mystery that continues to haunt Aiken County. So that's it for this week's episode of Everytown. You can check us out at our YouTube channel called Sanky. scary mysteries if you want to get the visuals to go along with it, as well as other videos about creepy stuff. Tune in next week for another episode filled with scary, strange, and mysterious stories, because who knows, maybe your town will be next.