Bishopville, South Carolina | May 22, 2008
Erica Annette Morgan’s sister reached out to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished with a plea that has remained unchanged for nearly two decades.
Please don’t let my sister’s case be forgotten.
For 18 years, her family has carried unimaginable grief while waiting for the justice they believe Erica deserves. Her children have grown up without their mother, and the questions they had as toddlers have never been answered.
Three Children Lost Their Mother
On May 22, 2008, 26-year-old Erica Annette Morgan, a mother of three, was found murdered inside her home on Bowman Road in Bishopville, South Carolina.
Her boyfriend discovered her body.
Investigators determined Erica had been killed after suffering severe trauma inflicted by a blunt object.
According to her family, Erica’s three young children—just 2, 4, and 5 years old—were home when their mother was killed.
The children were later found outside alone.
Before they were discovered, they had climbed into bed beside their mother, trying to wake her because they wanted cereal.
They were too young to understand that their mother was never going to wake up.
An Investigation Without Charges
Investigators quickly identified Erica’s ex-boyfriend, Gregory McDaniel, as the primary suspect.
Lee County deputies arrested McDaniel on the day of the murder.
However, authorities said they did not have enough physical evidence to charge him with Erica’s homicide.
Instead, he was booked on previous assault and battery charges involving Erica and another individual.
While investigators waited for forensic testing from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), McDaniel posted bond and was released.
Although Captain J.D. Dellinger stated that McDaniel was never eliminated as the primary person of interest, no murder charges were ever filed.
According to Erica’s sister, the family was also told that McDaniel failed a polygraph examination, but they were informed the results would not be admissible in court.
As the years passed, the investigation stalled.
Today, Erica’s murder remains an unsolved cold case.
A Sister Still Searching for Justice
Her children are no longer toddlers.
They are now 21, 22, and 23 years old, each raising children of their own while still searching for answers about the mother they barely had the chance to know.
In the words of Erica’s sister:
“Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Bishopville, South Carolina, has not done anything to try to solve my sister’s case. It’s been 18 years, and the only suspect they had they let him go. We still believe Gregory McDaniel was responsible for my sister’s murder. He even failed the lie detector test, but we were told it would not hold up in court. Her kids that were home with her when this happened were found outside alone while their mom was in the bed dead. They even climbed in bed with her to wake her up for some cereal. They were 2, 4, and 5 then. They are now 21, 22, and 23 with their own kids and still have no answers about their mother. Our town is very small, and I’ve been pleading for someone to help me find my sister’s murderer for 18 years. Please shine some light on my sister’s cold case. Thank you.”
Eighteen years is far too long.
Someone knows what happened to Erica.
Someone knows why three little children had to grow up without their mother.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Erica Annette Morgan is urged to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office or submit an anonymous tip to South Carolina Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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