WBTW

‘It’s been a tough road’: Family has hope for justice in Charles Willis murder case, 3 years later

Sabrina Shutters

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Since 1978, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Horry County Police Department reports there are 49 unsolved homicides.

One of those 49, Charles Willis, was murdered in is own home three years ago Tuesday, and his case was recently reopened.

Willis mother, Cecelia Glover tells News13 when she got the call that the case was reopened, and assigned a new detective, her heart lit up.

“I’m never going to give up,” she said. “I’m not going to stop searching until we get closure.”

Glover says there was one special way her son, Charles Willis, let you know that he loved you.

“When he smiled, that meant that he loved you,” said Glover.

Now, her thoughts of her son are only memories.

Willis is a victim of one of 49 unsolved homicides in Horry County since 1978.

HORRY COUNTY UNSOLVED HOMICIDES, SINCE 1978

“I didn’t want it to get to this point, because now when I check on the status with him, he’s a number in a file,” she said. “Instead of me calling and saying, Charles Willis, what’s the status on it, they say give me his number. That’s a hurting feeling. As a parent, that your child becomes a number in a file.”

Two of Willis children, Kashien and Amiliyantae, 9 and 13 years old at the time, were going to his home in Conway off of Highway 701 on December 10th, 2016, to ask for money to purchase an “Elf on the Shelf” for Christmas.

After arriving, they found their father dead, shot twice in the chest and once in the back of the head.

“We had a report of a male that had been found deceased, due to gunshot wounds,” recalled Horry County Police Detective Sergeant Gregory Lent.

“It’s a traumatizing situation for the children, as well as, they’re going to have to be in intense therapy, maybe for the rest of their lives,” said Glover.

In 2016, the Horry County Police Department formed a cold case squad of retired police officers to help push cases like these further.

“As technology advances, we’re able to use different resources to take a look at some of the evidence that we have, in order to be able to push the investigation further,” said Detective Sergeant Lent.

For now, Glover says in her heart she feels that this year will bring closure.

Ronetta Grate, who knew Willis for nearly 20 years, hopes for the same.

“It’s been a tough road. You know, for the most part, when people see us on the outside, you know, they think that everything is good, but you know, it’s hard when you smile everyday with a broken heart,” said Grate.

Glover says she plans to meet with the detective Wednesday to go over the details of the case.

Horry County Detective Sergeant Lent says if you have any details about this case, or any of the unsolved homicides, you can share them with their crime tip-line, at (843) 915-8477.