Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook announces that tomorrow is the five-year anniversary marking the murders of a mother and her child at a local apartment complex.
In 2011, 25-year-old Candra Alston and her 3-year-old daughter Malaysia Boykin were killed inside their Brook Pines Apartments. While CPD is not revealing how they died, Investigators believe the victims knew their killer(s).
The murders appear to be of a personal nature and show characteristics of an offender (s) who may have been in conflict with Alston. There were also no signs of a forced entry at the crime scene.
“I am pleading with the public to help find the person who murdered my daughter and granddaughter,” says Carl Alston. ”It’s hard for me to come to grips with what happened and I still have trouble really believing my daughter and granddaughter are gone.”
In an effort to identify and locate the suspect (s), the Columbia Police Department utilized new technology and DNA forensics to generate a possible identity.
DNA collected from the scene was analyzed using a new method, called DNA Phenotyping, which uses a DNA sample to predict the physical appearance of a person/suspect.
In 2015, CPD released a computer-generated picture of what the person of interest may look like.
The male is possibly dark-skinned with brown hair and brown eyes. The picture does not indicate an exact age, so he could be older than he appears.
While CPD received CRIMESTOPPERS tips regarding the DNA Phenotyping, none have resulted in an arrest yet.
CPD asks citizens to call CRIMESTOPPERS if they recall a change in a relative’s, friend’s or acquaintance’s behavior at the time of the murders, especially if that person acted differently or strangely, or may have left town unexpectedly during a mention of the case.
Citizens with information about the investigation, Chief Holbrook encourages citizens to call, text or submit online, their anonymous tip to Crimestoppers in any of the following ways:
CALL toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC.
TEXT to CRIMES (274637), and mark the beginning of the message with “TIPSC,” followed by the tip information.
LOG onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.