Evidence suggests foul play in Huston disappearance
Posted Friday, February 18, 2005 - 11:48 pm
By Patricia Newman
STAFF WRITER
pnewman@greenvillenews.com
Police investigating the case of a missing Spartanburg woman say they are looking at several possible suspects after new evidence suggests foul play may have been involved in the disappearance of the 24-year-old.
Spartanburg public safety Capt. Randy Hardy said Friday that forensic evidence found in January has been linked to Tamika Huston, missing since last June.
Hardy declined to say what type of evidence was found, but said as a result, Huston's case is now considered a result of foul play rather than a standard missing person case.
"We've got several people we are looking at as far as suspects," he said. "There are some areas that we may start to look for Tamika as time goes on. But we will continue to look for Tamika."
Hardy said the new evidence changes the focus of the investigation.
"As we started looking into the disappearance of Tamika, there were several suspicious occurrences that came into play," he said. "Her car was found. She had not gotten in touch with any of her relatives and she left behind a dog she loved dearly. All of these things were suspicious in nature, but nothing suggested foul play."
Rebkah Howard, Tamika's aunt, said "the family still clings to the hope that she may be out there. This new evidence frustrates those hopes. It sort of brings to focus that she may not be with us."
She said the family believes someone knows something about what happened to her niece.
"We hope that their conscience would bring them forward to let police know what they know," she said.
Family members reported Huston missing on June 14, 2004.
Her 1991 black Honda CRX was later found abandoned at an apartment complex.
Hardy said they had determined she was last seen about two to three weeks before she was reported missing.