In March of 2016, the life of 27-year-old Michael Vanwert was tragically cut short in the Moncks Corner area of South Carolina. The events leading to his death began to unfold on the evening of March 9, 2016, when the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a shooting on Harriet Tubman Lane. Upon their arrival, deputies discovered an abandoned Chevrolet SUV in a ditch and blood on the roadway, but no victim.
Witnesses at the scene reported that a man known in the area
had shot Vanwert. According to these accounts, the shooter then placed Vanwert's body into a different vehicle and fled. This prompted the Sheriff's Office to issue a missing person alert as they began their search. For two days, the whereabouts of Michael Vanwert remained a mystery to both his family and law enforcement.
The investigation quickly led to a breakthrough on March 11, 2016, with the apprehension of 30-year-old Robert Washington in the Cross area of Berkeley County. Information obtained from Washington led investigators to the tragic discovery of Vanwert's remains off of Black Tom Road in an unincorporated area of Moncks Corner.
Following the discovery, Robert Washington was charged with murder in connection with Michael Vanwert's death. His girlfriend, 26-year-old Jessika Key, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Both suspects were subsequently denied bond at a hearing at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center.
