Woman arrested in death of South Carolina teen

Lina Portman2 days ago

2 2 minutes read

A woman has been arrested more than four months after South Carolina teenager Maylashia Hogg and her unborn child were found dead, authorities said Monday.

Jacqueline Reid, 62, was charged with two counts of murder and booked into the Barnwell County Detention Center, the South Carolina Division of Law Enforcement said in a news release.

His arrest comes nearly four and a half months after the remains of Hogg, 17, were found Feb. 18 in Barnwell, about 78 miles southwest of Columbia.

At the time of her death, Hogg was pregnant with a baby girl whom she planned to name Londyn Charity in honour of the teenager's late mother.

The Barnwell Police Department initially handled the case before the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) took over.

It was not immediately clear who represented Reid in court, and authorities did not say whether or how Reid and Hogg knew each other.

According to an arrest warrant, Hogg was last seen on Feb. 8 near Reid's home in Barnwell. Authorities believe Reid stabbed Hogg that same day. The teen was 40 weeks pregnant at the time.

Investigators searched the defendant's home and found forensic evidence.

Hogg's cause of death is listed in the arrest warrant as multiple sharp object injuries, multiple stab wounds and incisions. His death was ruled a homicide, according to the arrest warrant.

Family of teen mother spent months searching for answers

Since Hogg's death, his family has expressed disappointment at how the investigation was progressing. For months, they had no cause of death or death certificate.

Her cousin Ja'Nearia Rice previously told USA TODAY in May that the family was grieving the loss of Hogg and her unborn baby girl.

“This past Mother’s Day would have been her first,” Rice said in May. “The family really misses her and little London. We would have appreciated their presence.”

Authorities opened a hotline just over a month after the teenager was found, hoping to provide leads.

SLED said in a news release that Reid's arrest was due to the work of “a team of people working tirelessly together to find answers.”

Several SLED departments worked on the case, including the Special Victims Unit, scientists from the SLED Forensic Services Laboratory, the SLED Behavioral Sciences Unit, and many others.

“No matter where you live, no matter where you come from, everyone in this state deserves an equal level of service from law enforcement,” SLED Chief Mark Keel said in the news release. “Every case matters and every victim deserves justice.”

SLED said its investigation is ongoing. The agency is asking anyone with information to call the Maylashia Hogg Hotline at (803) 896-0281 or email [email protected].

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She hails from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or send him an email at [email protected].

Family of teen mother spent months searching for answers

Lina Portman

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