The Silence of Leah Hickman: 15 years after Marshall University student's murder family has no closure
Warning: This content contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised.
HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA: It has been 15 years since the death of Leah Hickman, a journalism student at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Even after several years, the investigation into the 21-year-old's death is still active. Huntington Police informed that Leah Hickman was reported missing on December 14, 2007.
According to WSAZ, Ron Hickman, Leah Hickman’s father, said, “We just kept hoping and praying all that week that we would find her alive, and then we received the news on that Friday, the week after, that she was murdered.”
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He further told the outlet, “We went to Huntington and (were) looking in different areas for Leah. Some friends made up flyers, and we distributed them all over the area while Leah was missing. Each day it’s difficult. The grief never goes away, and it’s just difficult to deal with a death in this manner.” Jessica Vickers, her half-sister, last saw her at the apartment the two shared on 8th Avenue in Huntington, West Virginia. The computer record indicates that she had signed into her Myspace account on December 14. She decided to go to McDonald’s and also informed her friend about where she was going. The investigation team also collected a McDonald's receipt, confirming her visit.
Her half-sister also saw Leah’s car keys and purse in their room, however, there was no sign of Leah. The 21-year-old's car was still in the parking lot. Though Jessica repeatedly called Leah, the call eventually went to voicemail. She then posted a message on her sister’s social media page asking, “Oh sister, where are you?." However, it did not receive any response, according to Medium.com.
As per NBC, the family began to worry after she did not turn up for work at Dress Barn. A missing case was registered with the Huntington Police on Monday, December 16, 2007. Her company, Dress Barn, also put up a $10,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. Her father had previously told the media, “It’s just not like her. I knew something had to be wrong; I could feel it immediately. She wasn’t the type to just up and leave. She would have called me. She wouldn’t have let me worry like that. Just felt something bad-- something wrong that very night.”
Further, he stated, “She was my little girl. Still is. Always will be.” On December 21, 2007, the investigation team found her body which was strangled in a crawl space of her apartment building.
There were four crawl units in the space. Leah and Jessica shared one unit. Police said two of the units were unoccupied at the time. One was leased out to a man who was out of town when she went missing. Her father had said at the time, “I just don’t want her case to be forgotten. But Lt Williams has always kept me updated. They’re doing what they can.”
In 2014, seven years after her death, the case gained attention again. This was when someone spray-painted “Who Killed Leah Hickman?” on the outside wall of Leah’s apartment building. Captain Ray Cornwell, who was in charge of the investigation, claimed, “The case is not closed.” He said, “For 12 years, we’ve followed every tip and piece of information we got regarding her case.” Though the investigators collected trace evidence at the scene for DNA testing, it was a futile attempt.
Leah's father also questioned the investigation team regarding the DNA evidence tested by Parbaon NanoLabs. He claimed that it had great success in other cases in the past. To which, Cornwell explained that the department is hesitant to do the same. This was due to the fear that it would lead nowhere and the remaining evidence would be lost. There is such a small amount of the sample left that investigators must be cautious when deciding to retest, reported newsbreak.com.
He also added, “We’re constantly re-evaluating. We’re always hopeful. It’s our deepest desire to find justice for Leah and closure for the Hickman family. Someone out there knows something. We can only hope that someone will have a change of heart and develop the courage to come forward.”
As it is the 15th year of investigation of the case, Huntington police claimed in a statement to WSAZ, “The Huntington Police Department wants to ensure Leah’s family and the community as a whole that the investigation into the events surrounding her death and the person or persons responsible remains active. This case also has been reviewed extensively during the past 14 years by various detectives in an attempt to allow a fresh set of eyes to review the facts and evidence that have been obtained. Any tip or lead received on this case always has been and always will be pursued vigilantly."
Meanwhile, her father said, “We’re always hoping and praying that we’ll receive an answer and justice for Leah. But like I say, we have a lot of friends, a lot of church members, a lot of people in different churches that have been praying for justice for Leah.”