Posted on December 29, 2011

Sheriff: Another Woman Stalked

John Monk, The State, December 29, 2011

The man whom Kershaw and Chesterfield County authorities are charging with murder, kidnapping and rape in the brutal beating death of a 30-year-old woman likely followed another woman earlier that day, officials said Wednesday.

Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker confirmed the incident and said his deputies are gathering more information. He said he didn’t have enough details yet to elaborate.

Also Wednesday, Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said he has talked with an assistant prosecutor in the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office about possibly seeking the death penalty against the 23-year-old suspect, Nickolas Jermaine Miller of Jefferson. {snip}

Miller is charged in Monday’s slaying of Beverly Hope Melton of Kershaw. The victim was abducted from her car in broad daylight, sexually assaulted and beaten to death with a baseball bat.

The suspect later confessed after leading authorities to her body later that night in a remote field in Kershaw County, officials said. It appears the two did not know each other.

{snip}

Around noon, Melton stopped at Jack’s convenience store in Jefferson to get gas.

Shortly afterward–an exact time wasn’t available–Miller called her grandmother, saying she was being followed by a man in a car and was afraid. The phone conversation ended abruptly.

{snip}

A deputy who went to Jack’s and checked surveillance tapes recognized Miller.

“He was not a suspect at that time,” Parker said. “We thought he might have some information about Melton.”

{snip}

After 5 p.m.–hours after the victim was abducted–Miller told the sheriff what happened, Parker said. He then led authorities to the body.

{snip}

The apparent random killing has residents on edge.

Matthews posted on the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Facebook page Tuesday–the day the killing was announced–information about a free concealed-weapons permit class to be offered by two detectives.

“The class filled in about seven minutes,” Matthews said.