Twins Vanished After Visiting a Friend in 1985 — 2…

Suspicion circled back to Marcus Hill, but detectives found no evidence connecting him to their disappearance. Weeks became months. Vivien Thompson plastered missing person’s flyers across the city, gave interviews to local media, and continued searching. The police investigation continued but produced no leads. Then, in 1987, two years after the disappearance, something strange happened.

Viven went to the police station to check on the case. An officer informed her the case had been closed. More disturbing, her daughters’ names had been removed from the National Database of Missing Persons. Viven was stunned and demanded explanations. The desk officer claimed he did not know details, but the system showed the case closed due to absence of criminal evidence.

When Viven asked to see case files, staff discovered the folder containing all investigation materials was missing. Officials promised an investigation. Weeks later, they told her an administrative error had occurred, but no active investigation resumed. The file remained lost. Years passed with Viven continuing her solitary search, haunted by questions nobody would answer.

Twenty-nine years later, in September 2014, journalist Tyrone Davis from the Augusta Chronicle investigated police corruption during the 1980s. Through Freedom of Information requests, he obtained departmental financial records. While reviewing documents, Davis noticed something peculiar. In April 1987, police captain Charles Harris received an $8,000 bonus for closing burglary cases. Such bonuses were rare, catching the journalist’s attention.

Davis investigated Harris’s finances from that period. Captain Harris had retired in 1995 and died in 2008. After a public official’s death, certain financial documents become public through tax procedures and estate settlements. Davis found Harris’s 1987 tax returns in county court archives filed by his widow during estate proceedings. The return showed official income of salary plus the $8,000 bonus.

However, Harris made substantial purchases that year, including new furniture and home renovations totaling approximately $12,000. Additionally, records showed Harris made a cash deposit of $9,500 in late April 1987. Official income did not cover these expenses. Where had a police captain obtained an additional $9,000 to $10,000 in cash that month? Davis became intrigued.

He researched what Harris worked on during March and April 1987. He discovered that during that period, Harris supervised the department handling the Thompson sisters case. Under his command in April 1987, the case was suddenly closed. The coincidence seemed suspicious. Davis contacted Viven Thompson, now 68.

She told him everything from her daughters’ disappearance to the mysterious case closure and vanished documents. The journalist decided to investigate further. He located Harris’s widow, Doris Harris, still living in Augusta. Davis visited Doris, introducing himself as someone writing about her husband’s police work. The elderly woman spoke fondly about her late husband, but when Davis mentioned the Thompson case, Doris’s expression changed.

She recalled that in spring 1987, Charles had been tense, sleeping poorly, troubled by something. Then suddenly, he calmed. Davis asked if she remembered anything unusual from that period. Doris recalled that in late April 1987, Charles unexpectedly purchased new furniture and completed expensive renovations. She wondered where the money came from, but he said it was from his bonus.

Suspicion circled back to Marcus Hill, but detectives found no evidence connecting him to their disappearance. Weeks became months. Vivien Thompson plastered missing person’s flyers across the city, gave interviews to local media, and continued searching. The police investigation continued but produced no leads. Then, in 1987, two years after the disappearance, something strange happened.

Viven went to the police station to check on the case. An officer informed her the case had been closed. More disturbing, her daughters’ names had been removed from the National Database of Missing Persons. Viven was stunned and demanded explanations. The desk officer claimed he did not know details, but the system showed the case closed due to absence of criminal evidence.

When Viven asked to see case files, staff discovered the folder containing all investigation materials was missing. Officials promised an investigation. Weeks later, they told her an administrative error had occurred, but no active investigation resumed. The file remained lost. Years passed with Viven continuing her solitary search, haunted by questions nobody would answer.

Twenty-nine years later, in September 2014, journalist Tyrone Davis from the Augusta Chronicle investigated police corruption during the 1980s. Through Freedom of Information requests, he obtained departmental financial records. While reviewing documents, Davis noticed something peculiar. In April 1987, police captain Charles Harris received an $8,000 bonus for closing burglary cases. Such bonuses were rare, catching the journalist’s attention.

Davis investigated Harris’s finances from that period. Captain Harris had retired in 1995 and died in 2008. After a public official’s death, certain financial documents become public through tax procedures and estate settlements. Davis found Harris’s 1987 tax returns in county court archives filed by his widow during estate proceedings. The return showed official income of salary plus the $8,000 bonus.

However, Harris made substantial purchases that year, including new furniture and home renovations totaling approximately $12,000. Additionally, records showed Harris made a cash deposit of $9,500 in late April 1987. Official income did not cover these expenses. Where had a police captain obtained an additional $9,000 to $10,000 in cash that month? Davis became intrigued.

He researched what Harris worked on during March and April 1987. He discovered that during that period, Harris supervised the department handling the Thompson sisters case. Under his command in April 1987, the case was suddenly closed. The coincidence seemed suspicious. Davis contacted Viven Thompson, now 68.

She told him everything from her daughters’ disappearance to the mysterious case closure and vanished documents. The journalist decided to investigate further. He located Harris’s widow, Doris Harris, still living in Augusta. Davis visited Doris, introducing himself as someone writing about her husband’s police work. The elderly woman spoke fondly about her late husband, but when Davis mentioned the Thompson case, Doris’s expression changed.

She recalled that in spring 1987, Charles had been tense, sleeping poorly, troubled by something. Then suddenly, he calmed. Davis asked if she remembered anything unusual from that period. Doris recalled that in late April 1987, Charles unexpectedly purchased new furniture and completed expensive renovations. She wondered where the money came from, but he said it was from his bonus.