Family friend of 18-year-old killed after date: ‘The worst feeling I could ever feel’

SOUTH CAROLINA — A family friend of a teen whose body was found along a South Carolina road told Channel 9 she saw red flags before the 18-year-old left for a date.

Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz learned the 18-year-old had met someone online, went missing after they met up in person, and then, just a few days later, was found dead.

Promise Edwards told Goetz she took every precaution to protect the teen, but had a gut feeling something just wasn’t right.

Edwards said she and the victim’s mother were good friends growing up. She said many people knew the 18-year-old as Makennah Williamson, but that the teen preferred to be called Jacob. She said in the last few weeks, Williamson had come out as transgender and moved in with Edwards in Laurens County, South Carolina.

“The most peace I have is knowing that the last month and a half, that Jacob was alive, he was allowed to experience things that he had never experienced in his life. Making genuine friends, being happy and himself,” Edwards said.

Edwards said Jacob had been talking online for a month and a half with Josh Newton and wanted to meet in person. She said she had concerns, so Jacob suggested they download the family locator safety app Life360 so Edwards could track Jacob.

“‘If your phone goes off at any point in time I am going to call police’ -- we had a whole in-depth conversation for days before this,” Edwards said. “And all Jacob kept saying is ‘it’ll be fine, he’s the sweetest, we are so much alike.”

Union County deputies said last Friday evening, Newton picked up Jacob in Laurens County and drove back to where Newton lived just outside Monroe. It’s where police said Newton killed Jacob. Evidence markers still lined the trailer on Thursday.

Edwards said she was worried when Jacob’s location turned off Friday evening, so she started calling.

“I was like ‘don’t be angry, I am worried’ and he said ‘but I am sorry I will cut my location on for you. And for me, my peace comes from knowing that he knew that I cared,” Edwards said. “And I was like ‘well turn your location on, I want you to call me first thing in the morning’ and he was like ‘OK, I love you.’”

That was the last time Edwards talked to Jacob before calling the police.

On Tuesday, officers found Jacob’s body off a rural road in South Carolina, just a few miles from Newton’s home. Newton is charged with murder and his live-in girlfriend, Victoria Smith, is charged with helping after the fact.

Edwards said she’s holding on to the memories they shared and the stuffed animal Jacob slept with every night.

“To think somebody could take somebody as innocent as that -- that still sleeps with a teddy bear -- it’s the worst feeling I could ever feel right now,” she said tearfully.

On Thursday, Goetz also spoke with Newton’s father. He didn’t want to speak on camera or give a statement at this time, but he did say his heart goes out to Jacob’s family and that they deserve time to mourn.

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