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Body removed, but police waiting on ID
Investigation continues on identifying the body believed to be Leah Hickman Saturday, December 22, 2007. The body was found by the Huntingotn Police Department in a crawl space in Hickman's apartment building Friday evening.
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HUNTINGTON — Nearly 19 hours after it was discovered, a body, believed to be that of Leah Hickman, was removed from an apartment building at 403 8th Ave., on Saturday afternoon.
Police conducted a press conference Friday night announcing they had found the body, and that they believed it to be that of the 21-year-old Hickman, a Marshall student missing since Dec. 14, but stopped short of making a positive identification.
The Huntington Police Department released a statement Saturday at about 3:30 p.m. confirming the body had been removed, but again stating that positive identification had not been made.
The statement said the body had been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsy.
“Although we strongly believe the body is that of Leah Hickman, a positive identification will be made by the medical examiner,” said Lt. Rocky Johnson in the release.
| TIPS: Anyone with information regarding the Leah Hickman case is asked to contact the Huntington Police Department at (304) 696-4444. REWARD FUND: The Leah Hickman Reward Fund is being administered by The Huntington National Bank. Those who would like to pledge additional dollars to the Reward Fund can contact the Huntington Banking Office at (304) 526-4600 or send funds to The Huntington National Bank, 919 5th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701. |
Police are not making any other statements about the case until that time.
About three blocks around Hickman’s apartment building had been cordoned off since Friday evening, and forensic investigators worked overnight at the scene of what has been ruled a homicide, after the body was found in a crawl space adjacent to a basement laundry room.
Small groups of people from the surrounding neighborhood gathered from time to time just beyond the yellow bands of police tape that stretched around the building, watching police move in and out of the apartment complex.
The body was removed at about 12:50 p.m., and placed in a hearse which quickly left the scene. Police began to leave after the body was removed, though some, including the Huntington Police Crime Scene Investigation unit, remained at the site.
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PDF: Original missing person report filed with the Huntington Police Department. |
Police said Hickman placed a phone call to a friend at about 5:40 that evening, saying she was going to McDonald’s to get some food. That was the last call Hickman made.
Her mother, Sherry Russell, of Leon, W.Va., said she tried to call her daughter once that evening, and the call went straight to voice mail. When she tried to call again, she received a message that Hickman’s voice mail was full.
Vickers said her mother was worried about Hickman, and asked her to stop by the apartment Dec. 15 to check on her. Hickman’s car, purse and keys, along with a receipt for her meal at McDonald’s, were all at the apartment, but there was no sign of Hickman.
Hickman’s family became alarmed when on Dec. 15 she failed to show up for a 5 p.m. shift at the Dress Barn in Barboursville, where she had worked for about five months. The next day Russell filed a missing person report.
Police were struggling to find solid leads in the case when they decided Friday to search Hickman’s apartment complex again, starting with the basement. That’s when the body, which authorities said was well-hidden, was discovered.
Authorities have not released any information on possible suspects or a motive in the death.
The building where Hickman lived is owned by Edward Jackson, of Orange Park, Fla. Jackson did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Marshall University has also declined to comment until the body is positively identified.
Hickman was as junior broadcast journalism major at the university.
One of her professors, Dan Hollis, described Hickman as “very sweet and very quiet.”
“She was certainly one of the sweetest students I’ve ever had,” he said. “You could just tell that she was a nice person.
“There’s no script for how to handle this,” he added. “You just feel for the family and her close friends, and want to do whatever you can for them.”
Hickman’s friends had been handing out and posting fliers across the Huntington area since her disappearance. They also organized a candlelight vigil, which took place Thursday night, and vowed they would continue to look for Hickman until she was found.
A Friday night fundraiser, also organized by friends, to bolster a reward fund of $10,000 offered by Dress Barn for information on Hickman’s whereabouts was dampened when the news reached organizers that a body had been found. A vigil planned for Saturday night in Hickman’s hometown of Point Pleasant was canceled after the news broke.
