N.C. Couple Charged With Murder of 18-Year-Old Found Dead After Online Date

Deputies in North Carolina have arrested two people in connection with the murder of Kierstyn Williamson, a teen who went missing on Sunday from Laurens, S.C. Police say Williamson, 18, disappeared after going on a date with someone they had met online. 

In an online news release, the Union County Sheriff’s Office in Monroe, N.C., says S.C. authorities were first made aware of Williamson’s disappearance last Sunday when family members hadn’t heard from the teen since June 30. UCSO then became involved in the investigation after receiving a tip that Williamson had been at a residence in Monroe, N.C.

ABC News reports that Williamson had been talking to a man online for a month and was expecting to go on a date before disappearing on Friday. 

Joshua Newton, a Monroe resident, allegedly drove to the restaurant where Williamson worked in Laurens, then drove the teen more than two hours back to his home in North Carolina, officials say. On Wednesday morning, USCO confirmed they found the body of Williamson a few miles away from the home on Tuesday evening.

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Newton, 25, along with his live-in girlfriend, Victoria Smith, were both taken into custody after an extensive investigation, police said. Newton was charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice while Smith, 22, was charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact, according to USCO. Both suspects remain in custody as the homicide investigation continues, officials say.

Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathy offered his condolences on Wednesday. “My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim in this case as they begin to mourn this unimaginable loss. Over the past several days, the men and women of the Union County Sheriff’s Office have fully dedicated themselves to this case and ensuring the people responsible for this tragic loss were brought to justice.”