Solicitor: Former sheriff compromised Hope Melton murder case, c - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina

A man who admitted to raping, then killing a Kershaw County woman in 2011 has been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Nickolas Miller, 26,  pleaded guilty to murder, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of solicitation to commit a felony and kidnapping.

While in court, Miller admitted to abducting 30-year-old Hope Melton, raping her, then beating her to death with a baseball bat. He had nothing to say when given a chance to do so by the judge.

Some of Melton's family were outraged and angry at a sheriff who was recently convicted of corruption and severely jeopardized the case.

In court, Chanda Roscoe held back tears as she addressed the judge and her sister's killer.

Chanda told Miller that he's afraid to die and told the 26-year-old he's a "piece of scum."

"I hope that God shows him and gives him the same mercy that he showed my sister, and I hope he gets beat, and I hope he is tormented, and I hope he is mutilated just like he did my sister, because that's what he deserves," Roscoe said.

The Solicitor's Office said back in late December 2011, Miller spotted Melton at a convenience store, trailed her in his vehicle, kidnapped her, brutally raped her, beat her to death with a baseball bat, and finally ditched her body behind a turkey barn in Kershaw County.

Miller may be behind bars for the rest of his life, but for Melton's family, that's not enough.

"I, myself, and my family wanted the death penalty,” Roscoe said. “He deserves to die, and he should die."

Hope's mother, Elizabeth, said they were let down to some extent.

In a release, Solicitor Dan Johnson explains he had no choice. He said former Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker severely jeopardized the case.

Johnson said Sheriff Parker got a confession from Miller under the illegal “promise" he wouldn't seek the death penalty.

Johnson said Parker had a DOC inmate guard some of the case's evidence, did other things to complicate evidence forensics, and then was indicted for corruption.

"As a result of Sam Parker's gross misconduct in coercing Nickolas Miller's confession with a promise of leniency, all statements made in reliance on that promise would be properly suppressed at a trial in this matter," Johnson said in the release.

Johnson said there's a chance a lot of the physical evidence, including DNA, might not be admitted either.

"He should have done his job,” Elizabeth said. “It shouldn't have been a messy job like this. It should have been done the right way."

The family said it's still waiting for an apology from Parker. Meanwhile, they'll keeping fighting for justice and keep fighting to keep Hope Melton's memory alive.

"I know Hope is in a better place,” said Hope's grandmother Loretta Roscoe. “She's with the angels in heaven looking down upon us."

Johnson said Miller waived all of his appellate rights to seek judicial review of his conviction and sentence.

Chanda tells she's looking into taking some kind of action against Parker.

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