WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | 2005 Lexington County murder remains unsolved

2005 Lexington County murder remains unsolved

(Lexington County) February 8, 2007 - It's been nearly two years of heartache for a Lexington County family. In 2005, Diana Willmeth was found shot to death.

When Gerda Willmeth drives to her job with the Department of Juvenile Justice, she brings a small reminder of the injustice that's haunted her for more than a year and a half. The flyer posted on her pickup is a plea for help in finding the person or persons who killed her daughter, "A lot of people do think they got the guy. And it's a cold case."

Diana Willmeth disappeared May sixth, 2005, Mother's Day. She was last seen leaving a bar called Lucky's near South Congaree.

It took two months to find her body - just a couple of miles away. She'd been sexually assaulted and shot.

To Gerda Willmeth, "It's frustrating. The most frustrating part was that to get anybody to take it seriously. Yes, she's an adult. Yes, she had chose to go where she wanted to go. But we knew certain things. There was no way she would leave voluntarily."

At one point, investigators seemed to be close to solving the case. They tracked down a convicted kidnapper and sex offender who fled the Gaston area and ended up in Tennessee. But that man, Samuel Loftis, had an alibi.

After Loftis was eliminated as a potential suspect, the Willmeth mystery faded from the headlines. Now, Lexington County investigators say they are still following leads.

But it's discouraging to Gerda, "I call them, they call back. No news. And the news doesn't pick it up since there is no news."

No new suspect has been named.

"The part that worries me is that person had to be local - to know where Diana was, to get an idea of her pattern of behavior, and to put her body where it was found, he had to know the area. And that's scary." So Gerda Willmeth and her husband put up a $5,000 reward for information.

That offer and a Crimestoppers reward haven't been enough to break the case. The couple even heard from a psychic - also no help.

The Willmeths do take some comfort in their faith. Her mom says, if the case is not solved here, God will take care of it.

Reported by Jack Kuenzie

Posted 7:08pm by Chantelle Janelle