COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland County investigators announced a major fact about a 50-year-old cold case on Friday in hopes of getting more information from the community.
Five decades after his sister's murder Cedric Anderson says his family is still hopeful that the Richland County Sheriff's Office can solve her case.
"This might be 50 years old but that doesn't mean they are going to get away. They may get by but they'll never get away, because what goes around comes around," Anderson said.
His sister, Beatrice Riley was abducted from her home on Harlem Street in Columbia in 1972. Investigators say there has been no new evidence in her case in the last 10 years.
Now, the Richland County Sheriff's Office has decided to share a new piece of information about the case, that the public has never heard before.
"The coroner's report says that she died from severe blunt force to the back of the head, and we are continuing on from there," said Senior Investigator Dottie Cronise.
Cronise says her team shares the family's hope that there will still be justice for Beatrice, but she says there is only one way that can happen.
"Community involvement is imperative. The community needs to come together to help us solve these... I believe there is someone out there who does know something, and we would be more than happy to hear anything they want to share with us," Cronise said.
Over the years, time has erased where Beatrice Riley once lived on Harlem Street, but her brother says he hopes time will not erase his sister's memory, too.
"To keep her memory alive, the only thing we can do is don't give up. Don't ever give up," Anderson said.
If you have any information, tips, or rumors about the case you can share, call the Richland County Sheriff's Department at (803) 518-0957 or 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.