Inset photos from left: Victoria Smith, Joshua Newton and Kierstyn Williamson (Mugshots from Union County Sheriff’s Office; Crime scene and photo of Williamson screenshots from CBS Charlotte, North Carolina, affiliate WBTV)
A North Carolina man and his live-in girlfriend have been arrested in the death of an 18-year-old woman who believed she was meeting the man for a date after connecting online.
Joshua Newton, 25, and his live-in girlfriend, Victoria Smith, 22, were arrested in the death of Kierstyn Williamson, whose body was found on Tuesday miles away from Newton’s home on a road in Monroe. Williamson’s family reported her missing to police in Laurens, South Carolina, after they hadn’t heard from her since June 30, officials said. The Union County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Williamson’s disappearance on Sunday morning, officials said in a news release.
Newton faces first-degree murder and obstruction of justice charges. Smith is charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact. They were being held at the Union County Jail, officials said. It is unclear if they have attorneys.
Williamson’s mother Brittney Shealy was devastated, according to CBS Spartanburg affiliate WSPA.
“She was my firstborn,” her mother told the station. “She’s the one who made me a mama. She should be here. She should be here at work. She should be living her best life, and she’s not.”
Newton and Williamson met online about a month ago, officials told ABC News. Authorities said Newton allegedly picked Williamson up at the restaurant where she worked in Laurens and drove her to his house in Monroe, where authorities believe she was killed. The official cause of death is pending the autopsy results. Authorities allege Smith helped move the body, CBS Charlotte, North Carolina, affiliate WBTV reported, citing court records.
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“We believe that the dating relationship led to some comfort between Newton and Miss Williamson, which ultimately led to her getting in the car with Josh that night,” Union County Sheriff’s Lt. James Maye told WSPA, adding family members knew she was leaving with Newton. “There was just a perception that this was a dating relationship type thing, they were going on a date, and ultimately it ended up in her death, sadly.”
Promise Edwards, a family friend, told WBTV Williamson was transitioning to male and went by the name Jacob.
“This world was so cruel to Jacob his entire life,” Edwards said. “I find peace in knowing that in the last month and a half, he found peace.”
There is no evidence early on to suggest the case was a hate crime, but the investigation is ongoing, officials said, WBTV reported.
Williamson’s uncle Chad Bible was baffled, ABC Charlotte, North Carolina affiliate WSOC reported.
“You don’t just go out of town one day and decide one day, ‘I’m going to go out of town pick somebody up and kill them.’ That doesn’t just pop into your head,” Bible said. “Why? What did it do? What did you prove? You’re throwing your life away, and you ripped our hearts out.”
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