COLUMBIA, S.C. — A family continues to search for answers to their son’s murder after he was killed on Mother’s Day in 2019 at the on Parklane Road O’Neil Court in Columbia. So far, no new arrests have been made.
On May 12, 2019, Mother’s Day, Theron Woodard was shot and killed at the intersection of Parklane Road and O’Neil Court in Columbia. It’s the day his sister, Taqueisha Johnson, said she lost her other half.
“You took my best friend from me…you took my best friend from me,” Taqueisha Johnson said.
His family says early Sunday morning, Woodard was in a car sleeping and a friend was driving when another car pulled up and started shooting in their vehicle. Five years later, Theron’s family says there are still missing pieces to this puzzle.
“The who, and once we get the who, the why will follow,” Paulette Johnson said.
When this case was initially investigated, Richland County Sheriff's Department investigators arrested a suspect for murder and attempted murder but the charges were dropped. Theron’s mother, Paulette Johnson, said this brings up more questions.
“We know the arrest was made but why was it made, why was there enough information given or why was there a reason for the arrest if it was gonna be dropped,” she said.
Since then, there have been no new arrests, and according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the case was being handled by the detective who has since retired.
It’s now in the hands of the department’s cold case unit. The Johnsons said they need the puzzle complete.
“More pieces to the puzzle that can bond and hold up,” Paulette Johnson said.
News19 reached out to the Sheriff’s Department for more information on this case but did not hear back in time for this story.