NiShan Huff, Murdered -- Why no media Coverage???
Greenville, SC Investigators Search For NiShan Huff's Killer: Family Questions Lack of Media Attention June 12, 2006 10:07 AM EDT Family members say she had so much to live for. A college graduate, honor student and former Greenville High School Cheerleader, but someone shot NiShan Huff several times, her body found inside her Boulder Creek Apartment in Greenville County. "I'm going to miss her," said Chicketa Huff, NiShan's sister. Chicketa Huff says she doesn't know why anyone would want to kill her sister and she says she doesn't understand why her sister's death like many others aren't getting national attention like Natalee Holloway or the Tiffany Souers case. She says as far as she knows, her sister's case and Tiffany's aren't that different. "The family did feel a little disappointed because you know she was an overachiever, she paid her debt to society, she was always helping people," commented Huff. Statistics show 43% of murder victims know their killer, 43% of victims had an unknown relationship to their murderer and 14% of victims were murdered by strangers. Chicketa Huff says she doesn't know if a stranger or someone who knew her sister pulled the trigger, but she says the public and media didn't know that about the Souers' case either during the first week. She says she hasn't received a call from MSNBC, FOX News or CNN. "I don't know why they would treat it less important," commented Huff. A spokesperson with the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office says they became involved with the Tiffany Souers' case because detectives with the Central Police Department asked them to handle the media. Otherwise they wouldn't." "It helped someone you know more people were aware of what was going on," commented Huff. As a wreath hangs on NiShan's mother's house in her memory, the family says they will always celebrate her life and hope a killer is caught soon. Detectives won't say if the killer broke-into NiShan's apartment or not. They do say they are working hard to find who shot and killed NiShan Huff. http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=5013130&nav=2KPp2Qjt

Tips needed to break Huff case Slaying can be solved if witnesses come forward, Sheriff's Office says Published: Sunday, June 11, 2006 - 6:00 am By E. Richard Walton STAFF WRITER erwalton@greenvillenews.com Authorities said Saturday they are working on a few new leads in the shooting death of NiShan Huff, and they believe someone saw something that could help them break the case. "It can be solved," said Lt. Shea Smith, a spokesman for the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. "There's probably somebody out there that saw something and who needs to come forward." Huff, a 23-year-old honors graduate of Francis Marion University, was found dead in her Boulder Creek apartment by her boyfriend on the afternoon of June 7. Greenville County Deputy Coroner Ken Coppins, who said Huff died from a gunshot wound, declined to reveal the number of times she had been shot. Boulder Creek Apartments, formerly known as City Heights, is located off Pleasantburg Drive and near the Cherrydale Point shopping plaza. There have been at least two significant shooting incidents at the public housing complex in the past two years. Huff died a few hours after finding a house in Piedmont she'd planned to buy, according to her sister, Chicketa Huff. She has said it was unfathomable how this could happen to a woman like her sister, a "good girl who was a member of a sorority." Huff, a Greenville High graduate, was a double major at Francis Marion. Chicketa Huff said her sister worked at Outback Steakhouse on Orchard Drive in Greenville. Martin Hill, an Outback managing partner, said Saturday that Huff had worked there "on and off for few years." "Shan was a valued and loved member of the Outback family," Hill said. "We are terribly appalled by this tragedy. We express our heartfelt condolences to her family." Ty DGame, a former co-worker and friend, said Huff worked at Red Lobster restaurants in both Florence and Greenville. He said she was a dependable co-worker and friend to be around. "Shan was real," DGame said. Jessica Tremel, manager of Red Lobster on Wade Hampton Boulevard, said she recalled when Huff worked at the site as a waitress. "She worked here a long time ago," she said. "I remember a very sweet girl. She would do anything in the world for you." DGame said he was always concerned about the kinds of people Huff sometimes befriended. "I don't think her choices were the best," DGame said, but "we all have knuckleheads in our life." Anyone with information related to the shooting can give it anonymously by calling 23-CRIME. http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060611/NEWS01/606110317/1004/rss01

Memorial Service held for NiShan Huff: Family and Friends Pray a Killer is Caught June 13, 2006 12:06 AM EDT They carried tissues in their hands and walked with heavy hearts as they prepared to say goodbye to a young woman they loved so much. "My sister was a great person, she really cared about people," said Chicketa Huff, Nishan's sister. Someone shot and killed NiShan Huff in her Boulder Creek Apartment in Greenville County. Family and friends say they don't know why and investigators are looking for the killer. "She was going after all that life had to offer her," said one relative. NiShan, a former Greenville High School cheerleader, recently graduated from Francis Marion University with honors. Her sorority sisters, members of Zeta Phi Beta, also honored her during a special ceremony. "NiShann helped all of us become better Zetas and she's been the best sister, friend and soror than anybody could have," commented Peterson. The parking lot of the funeral home is packed with people who loved NiShan. Her friends and family lean on one another for comfort and others pay their respects by wearing a Rest in Peace T-Shirts. "Hundreds of people came, we didn't realize how many people she actually impacted, how many lives she touched," said Chicketa Huff. As they prepared to put NiShan to rest, they also celebrated her life. "She was wonderful and she didn't deserve this. This should've never happened," commented a sorority sister. If you know anything about this case call Greenville Crimestoppers at 23-CRIME. You don't have to leave your name. http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=5021963&nav=2KPp2Qjt

Huff family presses for clues in slaying Investigators working nonstop, official says Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - 6:00 am By Lorando Lockhart STAFF WRITER Lamar Henderson stood outside and expressed his frustration while throngs of family and friends filed Monday into Watkins, Garrett and Woods Mortuary to pay their respects to his slain niece, NiShan Huff. Henderson said he wants closure for Huff's family and understands that it takes time, but he believes more could be done to bring Huff's killer to justice. "When that girl got killed in Clemson, I watched Fox for about an hour and they got out there and caught the guy in no time," Henderson said. "In this situation, it seems like nobody has got a clue as to what went on and somebody had to hear or see something." Lt. Shea Smith of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office said investigators have been in contact with the family on several occasions, but the department couldn't share every piece of information in relation to the case for fear of compromising Advertisement "The bottom line is our goal is to solve this case and put whoever killed Ms. Huff in prison," Smith said. "We're not going to deviate from what we normally do in any manner that would jeopardize this case." Huff's sister, Chicketa, complained Sunday that she had only been contacted once by investigators since the June 7 slaying. Smith said the lead investigator has been in contact with family members. "If there is no new information, the investigators may not call them every day, but if there is new information, they will be notified," Smith said. He also said up to eight investigators are working the case on a non-stop basis as new leads, tips and evidence are presented. He declined to discuss whether any DNA had been found or what type of weapon was used in the shooting. Smith also declined to answer if he felt the killer may have been someone that Huff knew. LaTosha Hicks, a member of Huff's Zeta Phi Beta sorority, said she just wants Huff to have the same amount of coverage as any other person would who had been killed. "You hear about the girl from Clemson and she's all over the news and Shan is getting 30 seconds," Hicks said. "In order for people to truly understand what type of person she was, they're really going to have to take the time to understand this case." Deputies spent Monday working on leads brought by the public last weekend, said spokesman Michael Hildebrand, and investigators are working on evidence and other information the Sheriff's Office has gathered on its own. Huff, an honors graduate of Francis Marion University, was found dead in her Boulder Creek apartment near Cherrydale Point by her boyfriend. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Watkins, Garrett & Woods Mortuary. http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/NEWS01/606120323/1004/rss01

Community Leaders Call For Witnesses In Huff Case Black Leaders Ask Residents To Put Aside Fear Of Police POSTED: 11:15 am EDT June 14, 2006 UPDATED: 6:46 am EDT June 15, 2006 GREENVILLE, -- NiShan Huff's killer is still on the loose, and a group of Upstate African-American community leaders is urging potential witnesses to help capture him. At a news conference Wednesday morning outside at Huff's apartment at the Boulder Creek Apartments, speakers pleaded with witnesses to put aside their fear of law enforcement and talk to investigators. Efia Nwangaza, a Greenville activist with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, urged people to come forward with information that will lead to an arrest. Nwangaza said she thinks someone Huff's mother also said she thinks someone saw something the day her daughter was killed. "There's probably a lot of people that know (something),” NiShan’s mother, Sacha Huff, told WYFF News 4’s Mark Allen. “If they can sit down and think what they were doing that time of day, if they were in this community, what did they see that might have seemed strange. It might not seem strange to them, but every little bit helps." Detectives said that the attention the women paid to the case on Wednesday can only help their investigation. Huff's funeral was Tuesday afternoon. Investigators said the search goes on to find her killer. Greenville County investigators told WYFF News 4 that fewer people than expected are calling the CrimeStoppers line with information about the case. Huff, 23, was killed on June 7, shot several times in the head in her apartment at the Boulder Creek Apartment Housing Complex off Pleasantburg Drive. Detectives said that one call to the tip line may provide the crucial information that helps them solve the case. "We are not getting a lot of calls on this case, as we would have liked to," Greenville County Sheriff's Office investigator Tony Lee told WYFF News 4’s Nigel Robertson. "We sometimes get few calls on a high-profile case like this." Anyone with information about the shooting can leave an anonymous tip by calling 23-CRIME (232-7463). http://www.wyff4.com/news/9368523/detail.html?rss=gs&psp=news

Residents question Huff case progress Police say they're chasing every lead Published: Friday, June 23, 2006 - 6:00 am By E. Richard Walton STAFF WRITER rwalton@greenvillenews.com Queston Clement, 19, shook his head as he questioned the speed of the homicide investigation into NiShan Huff's slaying at Boulder Creek Apartments in Greenville. Clement stood with a group of friends who gathered in the shade of tree on the Boulder Creek property, which is not far from where Huff was found. Clement, who plays football at an Upstate prep school, and others have questioned how much priority the case is getting. Clement said investigators give a lot of attention to cases involving blacks, then their interest wanes. Master Deputy Michael Hildebrand, a Greenville County sheriff's spokesman, said detectives have chased every lead. He declined to estimate the exact number of tips coming in. "We've been doing interviews from the information we get from tips," Hildebrand said. "And we're trying to identify a suspect." Advertisement Investigators have declined to discuss DNA found at the scene or if Huff was sexually assaulted. Hildebrand said deputies were doing all they could. "We continue to interview and follow up each lead," he said. Jill Dudley of Greenville said, "I just don't know why nobody has seen anything. It was in broad daylight." Huff was found by her boyfriend about 4 p.m. in the afternoon. She was shot to death, according to the coroner. Huff was an honor graduate of Francis Marion University and worked at Outback Steakhouse and Red Lobster. http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060623/NEWS01/606230322

Huff family shines light on problem of violence Published: Monday, July 3, 2006 - 6:00 am By Kathy Spencer-Metnion COLUMNIST Chicketa Huff should be shopping for 24 tiny candles to brighten her sister's birthday cake. Instead, she's collecting candles for a July 8 vigil in memory of a sibling whose life ended in violence. NiShan Huff, a 23-year-old honors graduate of Francis Marion University, was found dead in her apartment the afternoon of June 7. Saturday would have been her birthday. And unless new information leads to an arrest in the case, July 8 will be another somber day of waiting for the Huff family and friends. NiShan Huff, in years past, spent her birthday celebrating the gift of life. "She would go shopping, go out with some friends, and spend time with family," said her sister, an area real-estate agent. This year, her family will gather for the vigil at 8 p.m. Saturday outside the apartment where NiShan was killed, Boulder Creek Apartments, 1E, 300 Furman Hall Road. Advertisement Chicketa Huff believes that someone in the area has information that can solve her sister's case. Maybe, she said, "They feel that the information has already been given, so they're not saying anything. Or, they may not want to be known. But they can still remain anonymous. Just please help the family to bring closure and bring justice." Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest (call 23-CRIME). To raise money to increase the reward, Latchkey Inc. and A Soulful Theatre are presenting a benefit performance of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf." The show is at 7 p.m. Friday ó the one-month anniversary of Huff's slaying ó at Greenville Technical College's McAlister Square Center Court. A $10 donation is requested, although any amount will be accepted. The goal is to bring awareness to the urban blight of violence, said Michael Burton, executive director of Latchkey, an after-school/summer camp program for children and teens. "We work with so many young ladies," Burton said. "We thought, 'Somebody needs to bring awareness to some of the dangers out there. We just thought it was time to step up to the plate." Call (864) 871-3236 for more information. http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/COLUMNISTS07/607030307&SearchID=73249686238732