Leah Hickman (21) was found dead in the crawlspace of her apartment building

[merdeath]

EDIT by MC: Leah has been found:

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2007/12/22/Leah_Hickman_(21)_was_found_dead_in_the_crawlspace _of_her_apartment_building

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x611865058

HUNTINGTON-- Huntington police are looking for a 21-year-old Marshall University student whose family reported her missing since Friday.

Sherry Russell, of Leon, W.Va., told police that the last time she talked to her daughter, Leah N. Hickman, was early Friday afternoon. She said she and Hickman talked about coming home for the holidays and that Hickman's dad, Ronald Hickman, was worried about the weather.

"Then I called her later on that evening and her phone went straight to voicemail," Russell said. "The third time I called, it said her voicemail box was full."

Russell said the family became worried and contacted the police after Hickman didn't show up for work Saturday or Sunday at Dress Barn on Merritts Creek Road.

Huntington Police Sgt. John Williams said detectives consider every missing person case to be serious and that they haven't found any reason why Hickman would be missing.

When police checked Hickman's apartment in the 400 block of 8th Avenue, they found that her car, purse, coat and keys were still at the apartment, which Williams said is unusual.

"We've contacted friends, neighbors and no one has seen or heard from her. She usually keeps close contact," Russell said.

Hickman's roommate and older sister, Jessica Vickers, said she had last seen Hickman pack her bags Friday before going to spend the night with a friend. Vickers said that when she returned to the apartment Saturday, Hickman's bag and the rest of her items were still there.

Thousands of flyers with a picture of Hickman have been put up in neighborhoods, restaurants and service stations from Huntington to South Point, Ohio, Russell said. Local churches and churches spreading as far as Illinois have become aware of the missing woman and have either prayed with or contacted her family.

Hickman is a junior at MU and is majoring in journalism. She is described as a white female, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, about 125 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

"Leah wanted a job that she could use to help people," Russell said. "She is a thoughtful and caring person and I couldn't ask for two better daughters in the world."

Anyone with information regarding Hickman's disappearance is asked to call the Huntington Police Department at (304) 696-4444.


http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endid=51341948

Her last mood is :  Mood: relieved 

[Bella]

The scrolling news at the bottom of HNN said a body found in an attic crawl space appears to be Leah Hickman.

[Tarren]

This is very sad.

One of her friends posted "Leah, friends and family, I just heard the news and I'm terribly sorry. A great person has been taken from our world and will surely be missed & always remembered."

RIP Leah.

[Bella]

[quote author=Tarren link=topic=11628.msg666561#msg666561 date=1198347478]
This is very sad.

One of her friends posted "Leah, friends and family, I just heard the news and I'm terribly sorry. A great person has been taken from our world and will surely be missed & always remembered."

RIP Leah.
[/quote]
It is extremely sad. I have been watching updates on the news since missberi posted this thread.
She lived with her sister, too.

RIP Leah

[Tarren]

[quote author=GothaBella link=topic=11628.msg666570#msg666570 date=1198348108]
It is extremely sad. I have been watching updates on the news since missberi posted this thread.
She lived with her sister, too.

RIP Leah
[/quote]

Very sad indeed GB.  :-(

I'd like to know what happened to the poor girl.

Actually, maybe I don't want to really know, but I am curious.

[FemmeFatality]

I can't find any updates on google.  Weird.  Here is her profile.  http://www.myspace.com/iamcharlotte2255 

[SameDifference]

I want to know how this case ends!

Very curious.

[Karalicious]

Is it wrong that I feel bad that her background will forever be christmas themed and her song is "last christmas"? :( Did anyone submit her?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcuHLOIiPj8mlKdDMZKUcG0ryf_AD8TMPPM80

Woman's Body Removed From W.Va. Building

17 hours ago

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Investigators on Saturday removed the body of a young woman found in a crawl space at an apartment building where a missing Marshall University student lived, authorities said.

Officials have not identified the body but believe it is that of Leah Hickman, 21, a journalism student who has been missing since Dec. 14. The body was sent to the state medical examiner's office in Charleston for an autopsy.

"Although we strongly believe the body is that of Leah Hickman, a positive identification will be made by the medical examiner," Lt. Rocky Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson described the death as an apparent homicide, The Herald-Dispatch reported.

Police have released few details about the case, though Police Chief Skip Holbrook said Friday night that there are no suspects. The agency planned an update about the case for Monday.

Marshall University spokesman Bill Bissett declined to comment until a positive identification is released.

Authorities searching for evidence found the body Friday in a crawl space of a common laundry room in the basement of the four-unit building. News of the cast a somber tone over a concert to raise a reward fund.

Hickman's stepbrother Nicholas Russell left immediately after hearing the news, according to Jason McCoy, who said he attended Point Pleasant High School with Hickman.

"I can't believe how they found her — my heart just goes out to them," McCoy said.

The concert however went on as planned. "We just wanted to do a performance in memory of her," said performer Derek Newell, another former high school classmate.

After visiting with Hickman's family, Huntington Mayor David Felinton told newspaper that they appreciate the community's support.

"Her family is certainly in our prayers and particularly at this time of year," he said.

[puzzld]

[quote author=Karalicious link=topic=11628.msg667542#msg667542 date=1198427505]
Is it wrong that I feel bad that her background will forever be christmas themed and her song is "last christmas"? :( Did anyone submit her?


[/quote]
http://mydeathspace.com/article/2007/12/22/Leah_Hickman_(21)_was_found_dead_in_the_crawlspace _of_her_apartment_building

[Karalicious]

lol i didnt even think to check there. duh. this thread needs to be moved then :)

[MorbidCuriousity]

Is this a new trend?

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2007/12/04/Jeremy_Schuyler_(20)_went_missing_and_his_skeletal _remains_were_found_in_an_apartment_house_2_months _later

[Ron_NYC]

[MeMeMeMe]

[quote author=Karalicious link=topic=11628.msg667542#msg667542 date=1198427505]
Did anyone submit her?

[/quote]

Me. This is close to where I live. (I'm about 20-30 minutes away, in the country) It's been the big story around here because this kind of thing never happens. It's always been considered a safe area. I feel so bad for her family and I can't wait until they catch who did it.

RIP Leah!

[deceptively keen]

For those who are following the case and interested in the updates, the police department is going to be holding another press conference tomorrow at 2 pm to give official updates on the investigation, and I believe to officially announce her identification. (I'm just guessing here since they said that state Medical Examiner was going to make the i.d.)

[deceptively keen]

HPD schedules Monday press conference on Hickman case
Dec 23, 2007 @ 07:13 PM
Herald-Dispatch.com

The Huntington Police Department has scheduled a briefing for 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 24, at Police Headquarters in regards to the Leah Hickman homicide investigation.


Chief Skip Holbrook said they will be providing the media with additional information on the investigation. The information will be an update of the investigation’s status since their last briefing.

[blu]

[quote author=Karalicious link=topic=11628.msg667542#msg667542 date=1198427505]
Is it wrong that I feel bad that her background will forever be christmas themed and her song is "last christmas"? :( Did anyone submit her?








I did

[Olivia]

This is just too sad. 

I really want to know what happened as well.  I heard an interview with her sister late last week and they said that they often left their house unlocked while they went to do laundry etc. 

[Olivia]

Jessica Vickers cherishes the childhood memories of playing dress-up with her little sister, Leah Hickman.

Jessica also has fond memories of her birthday. Each year, Leah would let her curly locks free to help Jessica celebrate.

"Mine's poker straight and blonde. Hers is black and curly," Jessica said. "I always told her that her hair was absolutely beautiful. She would purposely wear it curly for me on my birthday."

And when the young women shared an apartment together in Huntington, even routine evenings resulted in comfortable, quiet moments. The sisters enjoyed watching shows such as "Lost," "America's Next Top Model," "Arrested Development," "Friends" and "CSI."

"I always made fun of her for watching 'I Love New York.' "But when the season finale came on, I was sitting there right beside her watching it."

Images, stories and shared experiences will have to sustain Jessica.

Leah, a student at Marshall University, went missing Dec. 14. Over the weekend, police found a body in her Eighth Avenue apartment building. Investigators believe the body is hers.

Jessica was one of the last people to see Leah alive. Leah was doing dishes in the apartment the sisters shared in the 400 block of Eighth Avenue in Huntington. Jessica said Leah talked about how she had just gotten her grades, and she was happy with them. That was about 4 p.m. Dec. 14.

Later that evening, about 5:45 p.m., Leah called a friend and said she was eating at McDonald's, Vickers said. Police said that's the last time friends or family heard from her. Her mother tried to call her several times, but Leah's cell phone voice mail was full.

That began a week of frantic searching. Police discovered the cell phone was missing, but Leah's keys, purse and the bags she had packed to go to her parents' home in the Point Pleasant area were still in the apartment.

Her friends pleaded for anyone who had seen her to call police. Jessica was interviewed several times on national television, there was a candlelight vigil, and Leah's employer, Dress Barn, offered a $10,000 reward for anyone who could help locate her.

Hope was dashed Friday evening when police announced that they had found a body in a crawl space connected to a laundry room in the basement of the apartment building. Investigators worked to gather more evidence at the scene and then removed the body about 1 p.m. Saturday.

"It's a good example of not abandoning your instincts just because you have checked something one time," Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at the news conference.

He added, "We were simply making an effort to collect evidence."

Officers said they did not yet have any suspects in the apparent homicide.

It was horrible news for Leah's family, especially at Christmas.

Jessica treasures the time spent with her little sister. She says coping with the situation and being strong for her family is one of the hardest parts. She's had a hard time talking with Leah's mother about the ordeal.

"I don't know what to say to her. I don't know how to make it better," Jessica said.

The memories have left her with only one word to describe her little sister.

"Lovely."

"That's what she is," Jessica said. "She's got the kindest heart. I can't think of her without thinking of love in general."

Leah and Jessica grew up in the Point Pleasant area. Jessica's parents divorced when she was 2. Her mother, Sherry Russell, married Ron Hickman a year later, and soon after that the couple had Leah.

"We fought like most sisters do. I was almost five years older, and we had different circles of friends," Jessica said. "But she always wanted to be where I was."

Their bond grew as they matured.

"Our relationship got a lot better once we were more adult-aged and in college," Jessica said. "We both have jobs and more to relate to, other than high school stuff."

Leah started her educational path at Ohio Valley Christian School in Gallipolis, Ohio, but ended up graduating from Christ Academy in Point Pleasant.

Leah's best friend at Christ Academy was Caitlin Starkey, 19, who says her friend was active in school plays and the handbell choir at the small K-12 Christian school.

"Basically anything we had to be involved with, she was involved in," Caitlin said. "Everybody loved her."

Caitlin said people, especially younger students, were drawn to the blue-eyed girl.

"The little children would always run to her," Starkey said. "We were always too cool to talk to the little ones. But Leah never was."

Leah excelled in dance lessons and had notably feminine interests, Jessica said.

"Growing up, we weren't really into makeup and clothes, and I'm still not into any of that stuff, but she was," Jessica said. "She's always looking beautiful. Always had her hair fixed perfect and wearing cute little outfits."

Leah's curly hair was her trademark, her sister said.

"Her kindergarten picture, her hair was so curly it didn't even touch her neck," Jessica said, laughing.

After high school, Caitlin and Leah went together to Marshall. With an interest in English and the desire to help others, Leah wanted to pursue a career in broadcast journalism.

Leah wanted an internship with the animal rights activist group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Jessica said. Leah had watched videos about animal abuses on the organization's Web site about a month ago and started crying hysterically, her sister said.

"Leah was always looking out for everybody," Caitlin said. "She was so worried about those animals she couldn't even control herself."

Caitline, who is from Apple Grove, Mason County, is a psychology major at Marshall. She also works as a bartender at Club Echo in Huntington. Leah would often come in after work at the Dress Barn to keep her friend company.

"Sometimes she would sit there for three hours with a water, just to hang out with me," Caitlin said. "She was good at keeping us all together, finding any way she could to keep in touch. She's my closest friend."

Leah would call Caitlin every day, even during the busiest times. It's strange not to be able to talk to her now, Caitlin said.

"You're looking through your phone and you get to her name and you can't call her," Starkey said. "That's hard."


http://www.dailymail.com/News/200712240129

[blu]

so sad. :-(

[deceptively keen]

They just announced that they had identified the body as hers.

Body found in apartment building identified as Hickman
Dec 24, 2007 @ 02:50 PM
Herald-Dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON -- Police have identified the body found last week in an apartment crawl space as that of Leah Hickman.

The body was found in the basement of Hickman's apartment building at 403 8th Ave. Friday at 5 p.m., a week after the 21-year-old Marshall student went missing.

Huntington Police made the announcement at a briefing at 2 p.m. Monday. Authorities said they would not release details on the cause of death at this time.

Saturday, investigators removed the body a young woman from Hickman's apartment building at 403 8th Ave.  Police conducted a press conference Friday night announcing they had found the body, and that they believed it to be that of the 21-year-old Marshall student missing since Dec. 14.

So unbelievably sad. I live right where this is happening, and people are just really shaken and devastated.

[mialynneb]

[quote author=Olivia link=topic=11628.msg668855#msg668855 date=1198515545]
This is just too sad. 

I really want to know what happened as well.  I heard an interview with her sister late last week and they said that they often left their house unlocked while they went to do laundry etc. 


[/quote]

Where I grew up everyone left their doors unlocked; it wasn't uncommon. When I moved to the "big city" I started locking my doors and finally got my mom to start doing it since she lived alone. The next week someone tried to break into her house. Luckily, she has a 100 lb dalmation and the door was locked.

I feel so horrible for the family :-(

[MeMeMeMe]

[quote author=deceptively keen link=topic=11628.msg668956#msg668956 date=1198526553]
They just announced that they had identified the body as hers.

So unbelievably sad. I live right where this is happening, and people are just really shaken and devastated.
[/quote]

As much as I hate living in this area, it reminds me that we're relatively safe and that we do have a pretty nice community. In a lot of places, no one would think twice about this happening. In Huntington, everyone was so concerned about her while she was missing and now people want to help her family.

[Olivia]

I read that Jessica (Leah's sister) has an ex-boyfriend who has been interviewed twice.  Apparently he used to live with Jessica.  Leah apparently moved in when he went to Iraq and he and the sister broke up around September this year.  All his stuff was being stored in their laundry room until Leah told someone doing renovations to throw it all out.

[Stef with an F]

I feel so bad for Leah's friends and family.  The did an amazing job of getting the word out quickly to try to find Leah.  I'm in Charleston, which is about 45mins from Huntington.  I guess I watch too much Law & Order or CSI...I keep thinking we should get updates every 5mins, but they really aren't releasing a lot.  They won't say that people need to take extra precautions, but they won't say if they think she was targeted either.  They found her body around 5pm Friday, but for some reason couldn't/didn't get it out of the building until the next afternoon.  It is all very strange.  Nothing this major has happened around here since those 3 teens were shot after the prom in Huntington and no one ever got caught for that either.  I hope the cops do better in finding Leah's killer.

[Olivia]

I somehow missed that Leah was actually found in her own apartment block. 

Timeline for Leah's disappearance/death

FRIDAY, DEC. 14
Leah Hickman, 21, is last seen by her half-sister, 25-year-old Jessica Vickers, at the apartment the two share on the 400 block of 8th Avenue sometime in the afternoon.
Hickman's last recorded logon to her MySpace page takes place sometime on this day. No specific time is given.
5:40 p.m., Hickman makes a call from her cell phone to a friend saying she is going to get food from McDonald's. It is the last call made from her phone, and incoming calls that night go straight to voicemail. After a time, incoming callers receive a message that Hickman's voicemail is full.

SATURDAY, DEC. 15
Morning, Vickers stops back by the apartment and notices Hickman's purse, keys and car are still at the residence, though Hickman is nowhere to be found.
1:01 p.m., Vickers posts a message on Hickman's MySpace page which reads "Oh sister, where are you???"
5 p.m., Hickman does not show up for a scheduled four-hour shift at Dress Barn on Merritts Creek Road in Barboursville, where she has been working for five months. Her manager, Peggy Nida, later told reporters that Hickman was not the type of employee who didn't show up for work, and usually called even if she was going to be a few minutes late.

SUNDAY, DEC. 16
4:48 p.m., Hickman's mother, Sherry Russell of Leon, W.Va., files a missing person report with the Huntington Police Department. Authorities begin the investigation into Hickman's disappearance.

MONDAY, DEC. 17
7:30 a.m., Hickman's friend, Roger Parker of Proctorville, posts a message on Hickman's MySpace page informing friends that she is missing, and asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to contact him, or friend Caitlin Starkey. Friends begin to post fliers across the area.

TUESDAY, DEC. 18
Police continue to search for Hickman and conduct interviews, searching for leads in the case.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19
Vickers is interviewed on MSNBC concerning her sister's disappearance, other national media begin to carry stories on the incident.
11 a.m., Police canvas Hickman's neighborhood, searching abandoned houses and interviewing sex offenders in the area looking for any new evidence in the case. Authorities state the search does not turn up any new information.
Dress Barn announces a $10,000 reward for information on Hickman's whereabouts.

THURSDAY, DEC. 20
Police announce they are pursuing new leads in the case.
6 p.m., Friends conduct a candlelight vigil at the Memorial Student Center plaza on the campus of Marshall University.

FRIDAY, DEC. 21
Vickers is interviewed on MSNBC for the second time concerning her sister's disappearance.
Huntington Police find the body of a white female in a laundry room in Hickman's apartment building. Police believe it is Hickman's body, but the woman was not identified conclusively. Police forensic units look for clues and treat the discovery as an active crime scene.

SATURDAY, DEC. 22
Forensic units continue to investigate at the apartment building.
The victim's body is removed from the building and sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office for identification.