ORANGEBURG, S.C. — 17 years ago, in 2005, Dontay Edwards was shot and killed in Orangeburg County. To this day, no one has been arrested, no charges filed, and the case now gone cold.
His family, however, is not giving up and is still fighting for justice. Celebrating what would've been his 38th birthday on April 8th, his family gathered to remember him, nearly two decades after his death.
January 11th, 2005 was the last time anyone saw Dontay Edwards alive.
According to the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, a resident was heading to work on Prospect Street in Rowesville, when he saw 20-year-old Dontay, lying dead in the road. The department said he died from a gunshot wound.
17 years later, his mother Edna Huggins is still asking who took her boy.
“I still want answers,” Huggins said. "I didn’t want him to think mama forgot about him, mama didn’t."
Sophia Amaker was Dontay’s girlfriend at the time. She says the pair hoped and planned a future together.
“He was a very outgoing person, the life of the party, he loved attention,” Amaker said. "He made me feel wonderful. He told everyone about me. He was excited I was his girlfriend.”
Remembering back to that time when the young couple was dating, Amaker said, “He would always tell people I was his future wife ... Maybe we would’ve had children.”
“Cases such as this are reopened periodically in order to have a new look. A new clue or piece of evidence could begin a renewed investigation," Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Richard Walker said in a statement. "As it stands today, this case remains as an unsolved case.”
Edwards' Aunt, Annette Johnson, is pleading for anyone with any information to come forward.
“Somebody knows what happened, but nobody’s willing to come forth,” Johnson said. “Even after 17 years we want closure.”
Nearly two after his death, Dontay Edwards' memory lives on.
On his birthday, his family released green and black balloons in his honor, his two favorite colors. The also lit three candles as those who loved him the most still fight for justice.
If you have any information about the death of Dontay Edwards, no matter how small, the family asks you to contact Crimestoppers anonymously in any of the following ways:
- Call 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).
- Use the P3 Tips mobile app.
- LOG ON to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a Tip” tab.