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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:58 am

Williamston police are looking for a missing teen who never showed up for school.

A’sha Rucker, 17, of Williamston, was reported missing Wednesday
after her car was found abandoned at Caroline Community Center in
Williamston. Investigators say Rucker did not show up to school at
Palmetto High School that day.

Capt. Phillip Brown, with the Williamston Police Department, said
Rucker is not considered a run away. Williamston police are actively
looking for her and the investigation is ongoing.

Rucker is described as 5’ 2,” and weighing 129 pounds. She was last
seen wearing, purple glasses, a grey shirt, burgundy sweat pants and a
brown bomber-type jacket with a furry collar.

An Amber Alert has been issued for Rucker. Anyone with any
information about Rucker should contact the Williamston Police
Department at 847-7425, or Rucker’s mother, LaVette Rucker, at 202-8344.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Fri Nov 20, 2009 6:23 pm

Williamston Police are trying to find a teenager who was reported missing after he car was found abandoned in Anderson County.

Authorities are trying to find A’sha Rucker, 17, of Williamston who
did not show up for class Wednesday at Palmetto High School.
Williamston Police say they don’t consider Rucker to be a runaway
according to our coverage partners at The Independent-Mail.
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Ruckernov20



A’sha is described as an African-American girl, 5’2” and weighs 129
pounds. Her family and friends say they searched and found A’sha’s
personal belongings along the side of Cherokee Road. That included her
shoes, wallet, purse, cds and glasses. her mother says A’sha never goes
anywhere without her glasses.

A’sha’s mother says authorities found Rucker’s car abandoned at
Caroline Community Center in Williamston. Investigators had been
checking Rucker’s phone records and she checked her voicemail
throughout the day Thursday according to the newspaper.

Her mother, LaVette Rucker, said she is worried because this is unlike A’sha to vanish without a word.

Anyone with any information can contact the Williamston Police Department at 847-7425 or LaVette Rucker at 202-8344.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:29 pm

A community search effort got under way on Friday for a 17-year-old missing since Wednesday.
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Button_enlarge
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 21677117_240X180A'sha Rucker
A'sha Rucker was last seen that morning at her home on Crescent Drive in Williamston, according to police.Her
car was found later that day after workers at Williamston's Caroline
Community Center located at 1 School Street reported an abandoned
vehicle in the parking lot.Rucker's mother told News 4 that the
disappearance is completely out of character for her daughter. She also
said she believes that something has happened to her.Rucker is
described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and about 130 pounds. She wears
purple glasses and was last seen wearing a gray shirt, burgundy sweat
pants and a brown bomber-type jacket with a fur collar.The organized search for Rucker began on Friday morning along Ida Tucker Road and Cherokee Road in Williamston.Police
said they do not consider Rucker a runaway but they also said at this
point they have no indication that any foul play is involved in her
disappearance.Police have checked Ruckers cell phone records and found that messages were being retrieved.They are asking anyone with information to call the Williamston Police Department or 911 immediately.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:21 am

The family members of A'sha Rucker, a Williamston teen who has been
reported missing, are at a site in Pelzer this evening where a body has
been found. Greenville County sheriff's investigators are at a scene on Long
Cane Road near Ware Place in Pelzer in the southern part of the county.

A body reportedly was found there around 6 p.m., and Rucker's family
members are there awaiting word on the results of the investigation.

Rucker, 17, was reported missing Wednesday after her car was found
abandoned at Caroline Community Center in Williamston, authorities
said. Investigators say Rucker did not show up for school at Palmetto
High School in Williamston that day.
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Sat Nov 21, 2009 12:44 pm

According to Greenville County deputy
coroner Scott Ramsey, the body of 17-year old A’sha Rucker was found
early Friday evening.

According to authorities, some children were playing in an area off
of Highway 418 when the body was found just after 6 pm Friday night.
There is no word on the cause of death, but the coroner said Rucker’s
body was found face down in the yard of an abandoned home.

Greenville County Sheriff’s spokesman Matt Armstrong says that they
are treating Rucker’s death as a death investigation, suspicious in
nature. He says an autopsy will be performed Saturday morning to
determine the exact cause of death.

Rucker was reported missing by her family on Wednesday after she
failed to show up for school or pick up her sister later in the day
from school. Her belongings were found shortly thereafter along the
side of the road.
* * * *
The Greenville County Coroner's Office said
that the body of a missing Williamston girl was found in the southern
part of the county on Friday night.Scott Ramsey, of the
coroner's office, said that the body was found near the intersection of
Long Cane Road and Highway 418, just east of Ware PlaceRamsey said that the body was positively identified as 17-year-old A'Sha Rucker.Williamston police have been looking for Rucker since Wednesday, when she did not show up at Palmetto High School.The cause of death was still under investigation, Ramsey said.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Sat Nov 21, 2009 9:39 pm

A search for a missing South Carolina teenage has ended after children playing found
her body dumped on the side of a road.Authorities told multiple media outlets
they are treating the death of 17-year-old A'sha Rucker as a homicide.
Investigators say the girl's body showed no sign of trauma, but a hood was pulled over her head.
The teen's mother says she last saw her daughter Wednesday morning at their home in
Williamston, several miles from where her body was found.Searchers discovered her
purse, glasses, wallets and keys along a road not far from her home Friday morning.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:40 pm

An autopsy in a Williamston teen's death suggests she may have been
strangled about 24 hours before her body was found, but an exact cause
of death is awaiting further lab tests, a deputy coroner said Saturday.Scott
Ramsey, Greenville County deputy coroner, said the autopsy revealed
A'sha Rucker, 17, had marks on her neck indicating possible
strangulation, but “at this point, we can't confirm” that is how she
died.Investigators estimate that Rucker, who disappeared on Wednesday, died on Thursday, Ramsey said.Deputy
Matthew Armstrong, a Greenville County sheriff's spokesman, said
Rucker's body was found Friday by two children playing in the Pelzer
area of Greenville County. Her body was discovered about 40 yards from
an abandoned house on Long Cane Lane. He said investigators called the
death “suspicious.”There were no outright wounds, Armstrong said.Authorities
said the coroner's office and sheriff's deputies will work with the
Williamston Police Department to try to determine what caused Rucker's
death.Ramsey said that while some toxicology tests typically can take up to eight weeks, the findings could come back sooner.Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman said Rucker's rental car was found at the Caroline Community Center in Williamston.Rucker had been reported missing by her mother, Inman said.Inman said a search for the girl began after she didn't show up at Palmetto High School.Investigators said anyone with information about the teen's death should call Crime Stoppers at 864-232-7463.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:34 am

The family of a teenager who went missing and was later found dead spoke out on Sunday.Through a spokesperson, the family, for the first time, said it believes 17-year-old A'sha Rucker was killed.
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Button_enlarge
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 21694102_240X180

"There's no way A'sha would not have contacted her mother during this time
unless she was being held against her will, or she just couldn't," said
Heather Holcombe, who the family has asked to speak on their behalf.
"Of course we found out on Friday night, that was exactly the reason."Holcombe
also thanked all the people who helped search for Rucker while there
was still hope that she was still alive. She added that the family is
still counting on the community's help to find out what happened to
their daughter."A'sha Rucker was a bright, beautiful, loving,
young woman," she said."You can't describe what they're going through.
They are living every parents' worse night mare right now," she said.The
family also announced funeral arrangements. Rucker will be laid to rest
Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the New Hopewell Baptist Church on Dorchestor Road
in Belton. The service will be open to the public.The
Williamston Police Department and Greenville County Sheriff's Office
are both investigating the death. Anyone with information is asked to
contact CrimeStoppers at 23-CRIME.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:24 pm

The funeral for missing teen, 17 year old
A’sha Rucker, will take place at 2pm on Tuesday at New Hopewell Baptist
Church on Dorchester Road in Belton.

A family friend told News Channel 7 on Sunday that the family is
still in a state of shock. “You can’t describe what they’re going
through they are living every parent’s worse nightmare right now,“
Heather Holcombe said. To make matters worse, she says, the family has
heard rumors circulating around town that somehow the mother was
invovled. “For anyone to start rumors that Lavette may be involved is
absolutely ludicrous. There is now way,“ she said.

Nearly a hundred friends and classmates gathered outside of the
community center where A’sha Rucker’s car was found to light candles
for her Saturday night.

The body of the missing Williamston teenager was discovered early Friday evening.

Greenville County deputy coroner Scott Ramsey says that the body of
17-year old A’sha Rucker was found outside of an abandoned home on Long
Cane Lane in southern Greenville County shortly before 6 pm. According
to authorities, some children were playing in the area when they
noticed the body face down in the yard. “I still don’t believe it was
her. It’s just too unbelievable that’s she gone,“ a classmate said.

Friends and classmates sang “Amazing Grace” during a candlelight
vigil. Many of the teens wept and screamed her name during the vigil.
Police were called when some classmates made accusations about what
lead to Rucker’s death.

An autopsy was completed Saturday morning and the cause of death is pending further tests, Ramsey said.

Greenville County Sheriff’s spokesman Matt Armstrong says that they
are treating Rucker’s death as a death investigation, suspicious in
nature.

Rucker was reported missing by her family on Wednesday after she
failed to show up for school or pick up her sister later in the day
from school. Her belongings were found shortly thereafter along the
side of the road and her car was found at the Caroline Community Center
in Williamston.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:01 am

The Williamston police chief said
Monday that a teen who was missing for three days last week and found
dead Friday evening was a victim of "murder."
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Button_enlarge
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 21694102_240X180




Williamston
Chief Richard Inman said that the death of 17-year-old A'sha Rucker is
being investigated as a homicide, though A'sha's autopsy was
inconclusive.Inman said, "It's hard to say whether the victim was abducted or left and then found foul play down the road when she was gone."A'sha
was last seen Wednesday morning at her home on Crescent Drive in
Williamston, according to police. Her car was found later that day,
after workers at Williamston's Caroline Community Center.Deputy Matt Armstrong said A'sha's body was found by some children playing in a Pelzer neighborhood in Greenville County.Investigators
said the body was found face down on the ground with a hood pulled over
her head. The body was found 40 yards from the road, near an abandoned
house on Long Cane Road.Following an autopsy on Saturday, Deputy
Coroner Scott Ramsey said A'sha's body had evidence of strangulation,
but not enough to confirm it as the cause of death.Investigators
said that someone used A'sha's cell phone on Thursday to check her
voicemail. Preliminary autopsy results indicate that A'sha died on that
same day.Ramsey said determining the cause of death will have to
wait until toxicology tests are completed, which could take several
weeks.LaVette Rucker said she found several pieces of her
daughter's purse, glasses, wallets and keys along the side of Cherokee
Road in Williamston Friday morning. She said the disappearance was
completely out of character for her daughter.Rucker said, "She
was having problems in school. Several of the teenagers had bullied her
had tormented her. She was upset about that … On her Facebook page she
made a comment about being picked on at school. Friends said she was
upset but not to the point she would leave me and not return home at
all."She said, "Regardless of what teenagers may do, I know my teenager and this is not something she would do willingly."On Sunday, family members said through a representative they believe A'sha was murdered."There's
no way A'sha would not have contacted her mother during this time
unless she was being held against her will, or she just couldn't," said
Heather Holcombe, who the family has asked to speak on their behalf.
"Of course we found out on Friday night, that was exactly the reason."Chief
Inman said that an AMBER Alert was not issued for A'sha because there
was no "concrete proof" that she had been abducted or was in great
danger. He said even after her car was found, investigators found no
signs of a struggle or foul play.Police said that they never considered A'sha to be a runaway.Police
seized the Rucker family computer in an effort to figure out a motive
for the killing. So far, eight people have been questioned in
connection with A'sha's death, but no suspects have been named."I feel very certain the case will be cleared quickly," Inman said.The
family said that Rucker will be laid to rest Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the
New Hopewell Baptist Church on Dorchester Road in Belton.The
Williamston Police Department and Greenville County Sheriff's Office
are both investigating the death. Anyone with information is asked to
contact CrimeStoppers at 23-CRIME.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:32 pm

When students at Palmetto High School heard about their fellow classmate, many of themjust couldn't believe it. "Fun loving always had a smile, sweet and pleasant demeanor and just agood young lady," Dr. Mason Gary, the school's principal said. On Monday, students atPalmetto High School in Williamston learned their friend and classmate A'sha Rucker had beenfound dead in a wooded area in Greenville County. She had been missing for a couple of days.Doctor Mason Gary the principal at the school knew students would be upset."Wide range of emotion is going through their minds and heartbroken as well and such atragedy," he said. They signed banners and posters and left messages like 'A'sha I'm prayingfor you and condolences to the family. "So, anytime they can come together and just share andopen up. I think that's a healthy way to grieve and work through the process," Dr. Garycommented. Those words of sympathy are not only being posted at school, but online too.One post on the guest book came from Jeano Caldwell, back in 2006. Her daughter KwanaBurns was strangled inside her home in Anderson.It reads 'I lost my daughter Kwana more than two years ago, It's so painful, call me if you need anything.' So, from online messages of sympathy to an emotional school day a community grievesas they wait for answers. "It was just a neat time of sharing and celebrating the life of A'sha andthe good memories that our students have of their time together," Dr. Gary said. Students saidthey plan to give the poster and message boards to the Rucker family.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:01 pm

The Rev. Donald Owens described A’sha Rucker today as someone who was happy and loved to help other people.

Owens delivered a eulogy at a funeral for Rucker at New Hopewell Baptist Church in Belton.

The 17-year-old Williamston girl was missing for three days before
her body was found in Greenville County on Friday. The search for her
began on Nov. 18 after investigators learned she had not made it to
Palmetto High School, where she was a junior.

Owens, pastor of New Hopewell Baptist Church, said during the
funeral that Rucker was in a better place and nothing he could say
could make her family members feel any better. He said the presence of
more than 350 people at the funeral made a strong statement.

“This is a great revelation of love,” Owens said. “That tells me this young lady lived quite a life.”

He said he baptized Rucker, who attended his church, and knew that
she loved her family. He told members of the Rucker family that he
loved them and shared their pain.

The service featured a performance of “Lily in the Valley” by the
New Hopewell Choir. The Palmetto High School Chorus also performed.
Rucker sang soprano as a member of the school chorus.

Classmates and family members shared their memories of Rucker during the service.
A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 1125Funeral103_t300


DeAndrea Henderson, a teenage cousin of Rucker and close friend,
talked about going to a concert with Rucker and eating calamari with
her. Rucker was very outgoing and often encouraged Henderson to come
out of her shell.

Susan McKenzie, a choir teacher at Palmetto High School, said she
remembered working with Rucker and how often they hugged. The church
was filled and people stood in the back of the sanctuary and in the
hallways during the service. After the service, Rucker’s body was
carried out to the New Hopewell Baptist Church cemetery in a white
coffin with gold trim and red flowers on top.

Christian Hagood, 15, of Williamston said after the service that she
was a close friend and remembers going shopping with Rucker to
celebrate her 17th birthday. She said Rucker always had a smile.

Hagood said she was moved by the turnout for the funeral.

“I’m happy to see how many people loved her and cared about her,” Hagood said.

James Hunt of Williamston said Rucker was very nice and
well-mannered. He said members of his family had known her since she
was a young girl.

Roylee Sullivan of Belton said Rucker was his first cousin’s
daughter. He said the family appreciative of the support shown Tuesday.

“She was happy and full of life,” Sullivan said.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:52 am

The Williamston Police Department is establishing a timeline for the
movements of A’sha Rucker before her death, but there are no new
significant developments.

Rucker was missing for three days before her body was found in
Greenville County on Nov. 20. The search for her began on Nov. 18 after
investigators learned she had not made it to Palmetto High School,
where she was a junior. Her car was found abandoned at Caroline
Community Center in Williamston.

Chief Richard Inman of the Williamston Police Department said today
that the department was still interviewing people who may have been in
contact with Rucker before her death.

“There is really nothing new to report,” Inman said. “We are still investigating the case. No charges have been made.”

He said the Rucker case remains the police department’s top
priority. The final results of the toxicology report are not expected
for a couple weeks.

Heather Holcombe of Pelzer, a spokeswoman for the Rucker family,
said that the family did not wish to make any public comments at this
time.

Inman said his department was working with the family and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:53 pm

WILLIAMSTON, S.C. --It’s been more than two months, and still the slaying of A’sha Rucker remains unsolved.The
17-year-old was reported missing by her mother Nov. 18. Rucker was last
seen alive at her home in Williamston. Two days later, the Palmetto
High student’s body was found in an abandoned home in Greenville County
on Long Cane Road.Investigators are still waiting for toxicology
results to come back. Those tests are expected to reveal how Rucker
died. Greenville County deputy coroner Scott Ramsey said there was
evidence the teen was strangled, but it is unknown if that is what
caused Rucker to die.As part of the investigation, officers have
executed numerous search warrants, subpoenaed phone records for Rucker
and people she knew, and have gotten statements from friends and family
members."Once the facts come out and are known, I think people
will have a greater understanding of why it took so long to solve this
case," said Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman.Williamston
police are working closely with Greenville County deputies, since
Rucker’s body was found across the county line. Inman said the two
agencies have to be careful not to step over jurisdictional lines
because it could affect the case in court. The State Law Enforcement
Division (SLED) is also helping in the investigation."[Rucker]
was possibly killed in one county and recovered in another county.
We've got to process all that evidence,” said Inman.Once investigators determine how Rucker was killed, Inman said it will be easier to pin down a suspect."It's not something we're going to let go unsolved," said Inman.Anyone with information on the case should call the Williamston Police Department or Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:13 pm

A’sha Rucker, a Williamston 17 year old whose body was found in Nov.
2009, was strangled to death, according to the Greenville County Coroner Scott Ramsey.
Rucker was reported missing last year after she failed to show up for
school. Her belongings were found on the side of the road, according to
authorities. Her car was found at the Caroline Community Center in Williamston.
Rucker’s body was found outside an abandoned home in South Greenville County.
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Post by TomTerrific0420 Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:24 am

Police have learned what killed a Palmetto High student who was found
dead in Pelzer.
New toxicology reports from the State LawA'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 2_bing
Enforcement Division helped confirm that A’sha Rucker, 17, was strangled
as long as two days before her body was discovered Nov. 20, 2009,
Greenville County Deputy Coroner Scott Ramsey said.Williamston police have been investigating with the
Greenville County sheriff’s deputies. No arrests have been made,
Williamston Captain Phillip Brown said.The lack of a “set crime scene” has made the
investigation more difficult, he said. Even before strangulation was
confirmed, police were treating the death as a homicide, Brown said.Two children
discovered Rucker’s body about 40 yards from a vacant home on Long Cane
Lane, Deputy Matthew Armstrong said.Toxicology tests found therapeutic amounts of
Benadryl and pain medicine but not at levels that would have contributed
to Rucker’s death, Ramsey said.Rucker’s mother reported her missing on Nov. 18,
Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman said. She had last been seen
alive that morning, he said.A car that her mother had rented for her was found at
Caroline Community Center in Williamston, police said.


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Post by TomTerrific0420 Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:20 am

The same day authorities released autopsy results of a girl strangled
and left near a vacant South Carolina home, the teen's mother has been
found dead.

Police Capt. Phillip Brown said 41-year-old LaVette Rucker was
discovered Tuesday morning in her mother's Williamston home. Brown says
the woman died of an apparent overdose, but the coroner will
investigate.
Rucker's death came as authorities announced the results of an
autopsy on her 17-year-old daughter. Greenville County deputy coroner
Scott Ramsey says A'sha Rucker died up to two days before her body was
found by children in Williamston in November.
No arrests have been made in the teen's death. Police say LaVette
Rucker has been considered a person of interest because she was the last
person to see her daughter alive.
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:15 am

An autopsy today may determine whether LaVette Rucker’s death was an
accidental overdose or suicide.
In either case, her death “certainly adds a new dimension to the
investigation” into the strangulation death of her daughter, A’sha,
Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman said.Rucker’s lawyer said the Williamston mother loved her
daughter, A’sha, and was the only person searching for answers after
the 17-year-old disappeared.Rucker was stunned when her daughter turned up dead —
and in absolute disbelief when police named her as a “person of
interest,” attorney Sarah Drawdy said.“I think this cloud of suspicion about her, it tore
her apart,” Drawdy said.Rucker,
41, was found dead in her home Tuesday, a day after authorities
confirmed that strangulation caused her daughter’s death in November
2009. The case remains open with no arrests, Inman said.Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said an autopsy
would be performed today.Inman
said Rucker was considered a person of interest because she was the
last to see her daughter alive. They were at their home on the morning
of Nov. 18, Inman said, and the mother reported her daughter missing
that same day.Two
children discovered the teen’s body on Nov. 20 about 40 yards from a
vacant home on Long Creek Lane in Pelzer, Greenville County sheriff’s
Deputy Matthew Armstrong said.Inman confirmed that investigators are probing whether
Rucker helped move her daughter’s body from one area to another. Drawdy
said it didn’t happen.“No
way ever did she move her daughter’s body,” Drawdy said. “She had
absolutely nothing to do with her daughter’s tragic death.”Authorities said early
in the investigation they found neck marks leading them to believe the
Palmetto High student had been strangled.Results of toxicology tests released this week
confirmed the cause of death and found that A’sha had therapeutic
amounts of Benadryl and pain medicine in her system, Greenville County
Deputy Coroner Scott Ramsey said.Rucker went through her daughter’s things after her
death and had come to suspect that whoever killed A’sha might have met
her on the Internet, Drawdy said.The mother was the first to cooperate with police and
knew from the beginning her daughter wasn’t a runaway, Drawdy said. She
began seeking Drawdy’s services on Nov. 27, she said.“It’s only because of LaVette Rucker that an
investigation began,” Drawdy said.Williamston police and medics were called to Rucker’s
home at 4 Crescent Drive about 8 a.m., and she died on arrival at AnMed
Health, Shore said.She
leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter, Falon, Drawdy said.
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:46 pm

An autopsy performed by the Anderson County
coroner shows that 41-year-old LaVette Rucker died of congestive heart
failure.
County Coroner Greg Shore ruled out the possibility that Rucker, who
was pronounced dead at AnMed Health around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, was the
victim of a drug overdose
.
“This is definitely not an intentional death,” Shore said Wednesday
afternoon. “Ms. Rucker had a bad heart, was obese and had a medical
history that complicated her underlying cardiac issues.”
Shore said toxicology results revealed that prescription drugs Rucker
had been taking did not contribute to her death
.
Blood samples are being forwarded to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for additional
toxicology tests “as a precaution,” Shore said, before the death
certificate is signed.
In the meantime, Rucker’s body will be released to the Unity
Mortuary, where her daughter, A’sha Rucker, the victim of a homicide,
was prepared for burial a little under five months ago.
Those months, according to LaVette Rucker’s attorney, Sarah Drawdy, have
been a purgatory of accusations and questions, but no answers, for the
Rucker family.
Drawdy said Rucker
had hired her about a week after her daughter’s body was discovered in a
vacant lot in Greenville County.
A’sha Rucker had been reported missing from Williamston three days
before.
“I first met LaVette on November 27,” Drawdy said. “That’s
just days after she buried A’sha. She did not have time to mourn. She
had to roll up her sleeves and defend herself when she learned she was
the primary person under investigation.”
Drawdy said
speculation that LaVette’s death was somehow linked to her involvement
in the death of her 17-year-old daughter was “absurd.”
“LaVette Rucker was innocent—that needs to be clear,” Drawdy said
Wednesday. “She loved her daughter and was torn up by this.”
She said Rucker suffered through months of police scrutiny that, to
this day, has failed to produce enough evidence to obtain a single
arrest warrant.
“LaVette was in hell, continually bombarded by the police,” she said.
Drawdy said Rucker
had been cooperative with police investigators “every step of the way.” Williamston
Police Chief Richard Inman
disagreed.
“She stopped cooperating in the investigation early on, very early
on, and had us go through her attorney, Sarah Drawdy,” he
said. “We got a letter from Drawdy’s office telling us and Greenville County
detectives that we were to work all questions through her.”
Caught in the middle, Drawdy said, was
Rucker’s 6-year-old daughter, Falon.
“When LaVette became a person of suspicion, the Department
of Social Services took Falon away, the day before A’sha’s funeral.
It was one loss after another loss,” Drawdy said.
Falon Rucker, who had been placed under the custody of her biological
father, Harry Rucker, was returned to her mother about 30 days later.
“There wasn’t enough evidence linking LaVette to A’sha’s death to
justify keeping Falon from her mother,” Drawdy said.
“We gave them the cars, access to the house, interviews with family
members,” Drawdy said. “Police
have their suspicions; family members know otherwise.”
Harry Rucker declined to comment Wednesday.
Drawdy said she met
with LaVette Rucker on a regular basis to review the investigation and
to “help keep her from falling apart. The only bright spot in this whole
horrible episode was that the community surrounded her and helped her.”
But when the news broke Monday that A’sha had been strangled, “it was
too much,” Drawdy said.
A meeting with police investigators had been scheduled for this
Friday.
“Williamston PD wanted to talk to her, and she had contacted me,” she
said. “We were planning to meet with them again by week’s end. All we
got back is that LaVette was the number one suspect, never with any
evidence.”
Drawdy said that,
to her dying day, LaVette Rucker believed her daughter had been the
victim of a sexual predator.
What remains unlikely, in Drawdy’s mind, is that LaVette Rucker could
have strangled her own daughter.
“I don’t know of any mom who has strangled her own daughter, but I do
know of strange men who have taken advantage of girls and left them for
dead,” Drawdy said.
Chief Inman said LaVette
Rucker had been checked for signs of a struggle following the discovery
of A’sha’s body.
“There was no physical sign of a struggle found on LaVette’s body,”
he said.
However, a Greenville County Sheriff’s Office forensic analysis of
the computer the teen and her mother shared uncovered no evidence that
A’sha had been communicating with an Internet predator.
“That possibility has been completely ruled out,” Inman said.
He said the interview scheduled between investigators, Rucker and Drawdy later this
week was to discuss the possibility of naming Rucker as an official
suspect.
“We’ve pursued leads all the way to North Carolina,
conducted dozens of interviews and seized property, including LaVette’s Dodge Magnum, which
we still have,” Inman said.
He said whether an arrest warrant was imminent depended on the
outcome of that interview.
“Under Miranda laws, law enforcement
must tell someone when they are officially considered a suspect,” Inman said. “It
does not mean they are placed under arrest. It would be unfair to
LaVette to suggest we were going to arrest and charge her.”
Inman said facts
from the investigation would be made available soon, but did not give an
exact date.
Drawdy said, “My
fear is the police will
close the case and suspicions will always be pointed at the mother, and
Falon will live with those doubts.
“It’s the most difficult situation I’ve ever seen a client endure,”
she said. “What makes me angry is they’re going to review the evidence,
say there’s not enough to go forward, and they’ll do it to the detriment
of the people of Williamston. And that’s scary. If that’s good enough
for them, it’s frightening.”
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Thu May 20, 2010 6:33 pm

Six months after an Anderson County
teen was found murdered, police say her mother was the "primary
suspect."

Lavette Rucker reported her daughter, Asha, missing back in November.
The teen's body was discovered later in some woods off Long Cane Road
in Greenville County.
A
coroner's report showed she had been strangled. Then, just last month,
Lavette Rucker was discovered dead of congestive heart failure.

Williamston
Police Chief, Richard Inman, says
his officers were putting together the final "puzzle pieces" to charge
Rucker. "We were scheduled to interview her on Thursday. She died on
Monday of that week," says Inman.

The chief says two main pieces of evidence led them to suspect Asha's
mother. First, they say officers found soil and plant residue on
Rucker's Dodge Magnum that
matched the site where Asha's body was dumped.
Inman says a tire
track found on the teen's body also matched the car. "She was very
uncooperative from the beginning," says Inman.

Greenville County,
who is also part of the investigation since Asha's body was found
there, is disputing the chief's evidence. Deputies say the death
investigation is still ongoing.

Rucker's attorney, Sarah Drawdy, says
the department's claims are nothing more than attempts to "punish a dead
woman." "Williamston
Police have had nothing from the beginning," Drawdy says.
"Lavette Rucker was innocent and always will be."
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by TomTerrific0420 Fri May 21, 2010 2:26 pm

Two law enforcement agencies investigating a Williamston teen's
strangulation and a defense attorney are at odds over whether to blame
her mother, who died of natural causes days before police planned to
interview her.
Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman said Thursday he believes
LaVette Rucker killed her 17-year-old daughter, A'sha, and that there
aren't any loose ends to tie up. He cited newly released evidence
including video surveillance, tire tracks on A'sha's body and soil on
Rucker's car.Lt. Shea Smith of the Greenville County Sheriff's
Office said Inman's conclusion is “speculative at best” and that
investigators are continuing to work the case with Williamston police
involved “off and on.”“The
information he has been able to gain, all of it might not be entirely
accurate,” Smith said.Rucker's
attorney, Sarah Drawdy, said her client was no killer and called the
investigation into A'sha's death “sloppy.”“I have zero confidence in the Williamston Police
Department,” she said. “I'm going to withhold judgment on Greenville. If
they say they are actively investigating this case, that is an
excellent direction.”No
arrests have been made.Inman
said police never made an arrest because they were gathering statements
and watching video in an effort to complete the investigation. He said
he didn't have a possible motive for the killing.Inman said police presented their case to the 13th
Circuit Solicitor's Office and had received approval to interview Rucker
one last time before deciding whether to press charges.Rucker died days before she could be questioned,
Inman said.“We do
not have a murderer running free in Williamston,” he said. “LaVette
Rucker killed her daughter. It's unfortunate we weren't able to speak to
her again.”Inman
said hours after Rucker's death on April 20 that it was either a
suicide or an accidental overdose. Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore
said Thursday that Rucker, 41, died of natural causes and that a
toxicology report from the State Law Enforcement Division showed
therapeutic levels of drugs.
Rucker's death came one day after a Greenville County deputy coroner
confirmed the cause of A'sha's death as strangulation.
The investigation began Nov. 18, 2009, when Williamston police said
Rucker reported the Palmetto High teen missing.The Sheriff's Office became the lead agency after
A'sha's body was found in Greenville County about 40 yards from a vacant
Pelzer home on Nov. 20.Inman
said Rucker told police that a man who approached her at a Pelzer
grocery store told her where to look. Video surveillance showed she was
in the store for a few minutes but that no one approached her, Inman
said.Tire prints
on A'sha's body matched the tires on her mother's Dodge Magnum, Inman
said. A forensic botanist found that soil and foliage from the car was
consistent with what was found in the area where A'sha's body was
discovered, Inman said.Drawdy
said nothing Inman has presented has had to stand up to independent
analysis. No physical evidence, witness or confession ties Rucker to
A'sha's killing, she said.Rucker was searching for her daughter, while police
were treating her as a runaway, Drawdy said.“The parents found her
body — that's how sloppy this investigation was,” she said. “That's how
embarrassing it was for Williamston P.D. They did nothing.”
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by MililaniGirl Wed May 04, 2011 3:53 pm

Exclusive: Details Released In Teen's Death
Investigators: Teen’s Mother, Now Deceased, Was Only Suspect

Mandy Gaither, WYFF News 4 Reporter


WILLIAMSTON, S.C. -- A mother, who is now dead, has been singled out by police as the only suspect in her teenage daughter's death.

A month after LaVette Rucker’s death, police opened up to WYFF News 4 about the evidence they said pointed to Rucker as the person who killed her 17-year-old daughter, Asha, in November.

Three days before police were to conduct another interview with Rucker about her daughter’s death, Rucker died of congestive heart failure, the coroner said.

Newly released toxicology results obtained by News 4 show Rucker had several prescription medicines in her system, including Xanax, Lunesta, Remeron and Lexapro, but none of those medications caused her death, according to Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore.

In an exclusive interview with News 4’s Mandy Gaither, Williamston Police Chief Richard Inman released information about the case against Rucker that’s never been made public before.

Inman said a tire imprint found on Asha’s body matched tires on her mother’s Dodge Magnum. He also said dirt and foliage found underneath Rucker’s car was tested by a forensic botanist and was consistent with dirt and foliage found on Long Cane Lane in Greenville County, where Asha’s body was reportedly dumped.

"We know that at some point LaVette Rucker's vehicle, her Dodge Magnum, was at the dump site prior to law enforcement arriving there," said Inman.

Inman also said Rucker was the one who led law enforcement to Asha’s body. Inman said Rucker told them an elderly man in a Pelzer grocery store told her the location.

"We reviewed video surveillance tapes and Lavette Rucker was never in BI-LO that day," said Inman.
Rucker’s Attorney, Sarah Drawdy, maintains her client’s innocence.

"None of that so-called evidence [police] shared with you is anything that's been cross-examined by independent analysts. They wanted to make this case and look for anything that would fit a theory they'd come up with,” said Drawdy.

"LaVette Rucker is innocent. Always will be innocent. [Police] have not produced any evidence, no forensics, no testimonial evidence, there's no physical evidence. There is nothing," she said.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/23614747/detail.html
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A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC Empty Re: A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC

Post by MililaniGirl Wed May 04, 2011 3:57 pm

Rucker's Lawyer Defends Client After Her Death
Woman Died Suddenly Earlier This Week
POSTED: 9:18 am EDT April 23, 2010
UPDATED: 11:47 am EDT April 23, 2010

A'SHA RUCKER - 17 yo (2009) - Williamston SC 23244424_240X180

WILLIAMSTON, S.C. -- The lawyer of the mother whose daughter was killed last year is defending her client after she died suddenly earlier this week.

The coroner's office said that Taresa Lavette Rucker died on Tuesday morning from congestive heart failure.

Rucker's death came just days after investigators announced that her daughter, A'Sha Rucker, whose body was found near an abandoned home in November, was strangled.

Williamston police have said that Taresa Rucker was considered a person of interest in her daughter's death because she was the last person to see her daughter alive.

On Thursday, the lawyer of Taresa Rucker, Sarah Drawdy, said that her client had nothing to do with her daughter's death.

Drawdy said that she is worried that the police will close the case without ever finding the real killer.
"Maybe she met someone on the Internet, or maybe like all 17 year olds, she pulled off the side of the road with the wrong group of friends or something." Drawdy said. "This woman wanted nothing but her daughter brought home safe and sound, but it just didn't happen."

Investigators have said they plan to hold a news conference soon to explain why Taresa Rucker is a person of interest in the slaying.

Police began searching for A'Sha Rucker on Nov. 18, 2009, after she did not show up for class at Palmetto High School.

http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/23242871/detail.html
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