Columbia (WLTX) -- For more than two decades, a Midlands' mother has been waiting for justice. Her son's killer is still out there. Law enforcement says the crime scene was suspicious and at one point, they thought that maybe the victim's body had been placed there. James Griffith graduated from Richland Northeast High School in 1986 and all he ever wanted to do was serve his county and make his mom, Carol Long, happy. He had just graduated from boot camp at Paris Island, a new member of the United State Marine Corps. He was just 19-years-old, full of life and home for a short break. "He was a wonderful person, I mean, he would come and sit on my lap and let me rock him when he came home. His legs were real long - good-looking kid. But he would sit on my lap and I would rock him like I always did," Long said. "He didn't have a chance to live his life, get married and have children and that's the sad thing. There's no pain like losing a child." It's a pain that can possibly only be compared to losing a brother. "He was a good kid. He didn't drink, didn't smoke. The drill team was his life. He would be out in the yard spinning brooms and stuff," says Karla Griffith, James's sister. On the night James was killed, there were clear skies over head and dry roads. It was a night that would change his family's life forever. Twenty years later, law enforcement is still searching for a killer." Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says, "There's not a lot of physical evidence, but somebody knows something. Somebody has talked about this incident either from the standpoint of bragging about it or they've talked about it out of guilt." Watts was the deputy coroner who was called out to the scene 22 years ago. From the little evidence law enforcement has, Watts helped News19 put together a reenactment of what he thinks happened that night James Griffith was killed. James was running down Alpine Road headed towards Farraway Drive, less than two miles away from home, when a car came up from behind, hitting and killing him instantly. The driver never stopped and it was hours later before anyone found his body. "This mother, for the last 22 years, has suffered every day wanting to know what happened to her son," Watts says. If you have any information that can help law enforcement with this case, please contact Crimestoppers by calling 1-888-CRIME-SC, or e-mail a tip in to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com. You can also text information in by texting "TIPSC" plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Either way you choose, your identity will remain anonymous, and you could be eligible for a cash reward.
9/22/2009 3:22:42 PM
