Hope Melton Murder: Where is Her Nickolas Miller Now? – An 18-year-old Kershaw resident was abducted, sexually raped, and later “brutally murdered” after the murder suspect led police to her body. A worried call about a man following Beverly Hope Melton, 30, was made to her grandmother on Monday night. Nickolas Jermaine Miller, 23, guided Chesterfield County deputies to where Melton’s body was subsequently found in Kershaw County.
The sad death of Hope Melton is the subject of Investigation Discovery episode “See No Evil: Shadow of Hope.” Keep reading if you’re interested in learning more about Hope Melton’s murder case and how the police caught her killer.
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Who Was Hope Melton and How Did She Die?
Beverly “Hope” Roscoe Melton, the devoted daughter of William Roger and Elizabeth Rae Hodge Roscoe, was born on December 4, 1981. The native of Cheraw, South Carolina, earned his high school diploma from Chesterfield in 2000. Previously, the 30-year-old Lancaster Church of God instructor taught children’s church.
On December 26, 2011, Beverly Hope Melton pulled into a gas station in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, to obtain some fuel. As she left, though, Melton saw a man she had seen earlier in the store was following closely behind. She called her grandma out of the concern and reported that she was concerned about the man who appeared to be following her car. Her grandmother advised her to continue on to her house without stopping.
Unfortunately, the man who was pursuing Melton ran her car off the road before abducting her. Then, while driving her around for more than an hour in his car, he made multiple attempts to rape her. He eventually came to a stop, and after that, he killed Melton with a baseball bat.
Chesterfield County deputies acted quickly to find Hope’s automobile after being alerted to the potential kidnapping. It was discovered in a ditch on Jefferson’s Angelus Road. Hope’s pocketbook was in the car, which was in reverse. Hope was viciously raped and killed with a baseball bat, and her naked body was later discovered behind a turkey barn on Sandy Grove Road in Mount Pisgah, Kershaw County.
“This was a horribly brutal and senseless crime. One of the worst I have ever seen. To our knowledge Ms. Melton did not know her killer,” Sheriff Matthews stated. “Since the actual homicide took place in Kershaw County, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office will take over the homicide investigation. I must give credit where it is due. Chesterfield authorities jumped on this case with a vengeance. They are the ones who solved this crime.”
Who Killed Hope Melton and Why?
Nickolas Miller was recognised in CCTV footage from the petrol station by detectives, who then arrested him and filed murder, criminal sexual assault, and kidnapping charges against him.
26-year-old Miller entered a guilty plea to all charges in 2015, and the prosecution chose not to seek the death sentence. Some illegal conduct partially caused this during Miller’s original questioning, during which Miller was given a break before even admitting to committing a crime. Due to this, the defence sought to have a significant amount of the evidence excluded because it was “fruit from the poisoned tree.”
What Happened to Nickolas Jermaine Miller?
The 26-year-old Nickolas Miller entered a plea of guilty to kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, murder, and two charges of solicitation to commit a felony.
Miller confessed in court to kidnapping Hope Melton, 30, raping her, and then killing her with a baseball bat. When the judge gave him the chance to speak, he had nothing to say.
A sheriff who had recently been found guilty of corruption and had seriously compromised the case infuriated and angered certain members of Melton’s family.
Chanda Roscoe fought back the tears in court as she addressed the judge and the man who killed her sister.
Chanda called Miller a “piece of scum” and revealed that he is terrified of dying.
Because that’s what he deserves, Roscoe added, “I hope that God shows him and offers him the same mercy that he showed my sister, and I hope he gets pounded, and I hope he is tormented, and I hope he is mutilated exactly like he did my sister.”
According to the Solicitor’s Office, Miller first observed Melton at a convenience store in late December 2011, followed her in his car, kidnapped her, savagely raped her, beat her to death with a baseball bat, and then dumped her body behind a turkey barn in Kershaw County.
Miller may spend the rest of his life in prison, but that is insufficient for Melton’s family.
Roscoe declared, “Me, myself, and my family wanted the death penalty. He should die; he deserves to die.”
Stream “Shadow of Hope: See No Evil” episode (season 4, episode 13) on Investigation Discovery.
