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Family of woman abducted, slain frustrated by murder trial delays

By Greg Suskin, wsoctv.com
By Greg Suskin, wsoctv.com

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Chanda Roscoe walked out of the courtroom in Camden Monday, no longer able to hold back tears. Three years after the horrific murder of her sister, Hope Roscoe, she's had to once again sit in court across from the man accused of killing her.

"He's a monster. No remorse. Cold-hearted," Roscoe said.

Nickolas Miller, 23, faces the death penalty in the rape and beating death of Melton. On Monday in Camden, the judge set a trial date of Feb. 9, 2016.

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Melton's family was clearly upset following the hearing, wanting to know why justice is so long delayed.

"We keep showing up for all these little hearings, and it's just rescheduling, rescheduling, move the date, no closure," Roscoe said.

Roscoe wore a large button pinned to her sweater in memory of Hope.

"She smiled all the time. I don't think there was anybody who didn't like my sister," she said.

That smile was last seen on the 30-year-old's face on surveillance video the day after Christmas 2011.

She had stopped at a Jefferson convenience store, where Miller also stopped.

The surveillance video shows him partly opening the door for her as she walks into the store.

Deputies said he tried to speak with her at the gas pumps, then followed her in his car as she left for her grandmother's house. Melton called her grandmother and told her someone was following her. She thought it was the man from the gas station and said he seemed drunk. That was the last anyone heard from her.

Deputies believe Miller cut Melton off with his car, ran her off the road, then abducted and raped her. They said he drove her to a wooded area in Kershaw County, then beat her to death with a baseball bat.

Deputies said that hours later, he led them to her body. Her car was discovered in a ditch, still running.

It's possible Melton wasn't the first target for Miller, deputies said. They believe he may have targeted another woman earlier in the day but changed his mind because she headed north, into a busier area. So he went back to the small convenience store in Jefferson, they said.

In 2012, prosecutors filed paperwork to seek the death penalty against Miller.

His appearance in court in Camden was for another hearing about scheduling the trial. Seeing him is gut-wrenching for Melton's family. Frankie Melton is the victim's brother-in-law.

"Every Christmas, this time of year is hard to calculate, and just really devastating. There's a strong need for this to end," Melton said.

The court has placed a gag order on lawyers involved in the case, so they cannot discuss any details about the investigation or explain reasons for the delays.

Deputies believe the abduction and rape happened in Chesterfield County and the murder happened in Kershaw County. The case was jointly investigated by two sheriff's departments, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and two solicitor's offices. It's possible that the large number of people involved could partly explain why it will take more than four years to come to court.

Until that day, the family of a brutally murdered newlywed will have to keep their anguish inside.

"It's hard, and we have to be quiet and not speak out on her behalf," Roscoe said Monday.

Miller had no criminal record before his arrest in this case on suspicion of murder, criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. Neither he nor his family spoke in court.

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