NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A South Carolina man connected to the disappearance of local woman has been extradited to Wilmington and made his first appearance in a New Hanover County courtroom Tuesday.
William Haven Hicks has been charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping and financial card theft. He received no bond and is being held in the New Hanover County Detention Center.
READ MORE: Man charged in local murder to be extradited from SC within 20 days
ALSO: Vigils held for slain transgender woman, ‘no evidence of hate crime,’ WPD says
A court-appointed attorney will represent Hicks, scheduled to make his next appearance Feb. 9.
Hicks was detained in Myrtle Beach on Jan. 17 after police conducted a welfare check and found a fraud charge, which led to his arrest. Thereafter, they learned Hicks was wanted by the Wilmington Police Department on a first-degree murder charge.
The 26-year-old waived his right to extradition from Myrtle Beach on Thursday, Jan. 18 and was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway without bond. North Carolina law enforcement had 20 days to bring him to New Hanover County.
WPD’s investigation into the case has revealed Hicks and Johnson met on a dating app. Police suspect she was killed in the 1300 block of King Street in the Love Grove community on Friday, Jan. 13, the day she went missing.
Johnson’s body has yet to be recovered, though WPD is waiting on an autopsy report on remains that washed up in Georgia. The Chatham County Police Department made the discovery on the rocky banks of the Savannah River on Jan. 18.
Hicks’ criminal record includes multiple offenses dating back to 2018. According to arrest records obtained by Port City Daily, he has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts, including torturing animals, assault and battery, and burglary.
Have comments or tips? Email info@portcitydaily.com
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
