Police: Woman who reported Columbia man missing arrested in his death

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A woman is in custody accused of killing a Columbia man who went missing before Christmas, according to police. 

Taylor Wardlaw, 29, is charged with murder and possession of a firearm during a violent crime in the death of 26-year-old Terrell Sims. 

RELATED: Family of Terrell Sims: 'We didn't see this coming'

According to police, investigators found Sims' body near a creek off Monticello Road Wednesday with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina State Fire Academy, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) and the Columbia-Richland Fire Department (CFRD). 

After conducting an autopsy on Thursday, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford identified the victim as 26-year-old Terrell Sims.

RELATED: 'Something has to change': Richland County murders by gunfire doubled in 2021

On December 22, 2021, Wardlaw reported Sims as missing from an Ervin Street home. 

Since that time, CPD officers searched for Sims and entered his information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.

Additional arrests related to the case are possible, according to police.