COLUMBIA, S.C. — Many families eagerly anticipate being together with their loved ones as the holiday season approaches.
However, for some in the Midlands, this joy is overshadowed by the haunting absence of those they hold dear.
There are 98 cases in Kershaw, Richland, and Newberry counties of people who have been reported missing.
One such case is that of Willis Frierson, affectionately known as "Benji."
His sons, Jarrick and Marquez Cain, have put up missing posters across Bishopville since his disappearance on April 30.
"I hope maybe he's standing out in the yard or walking around like how he usually does, but you know, right now, it's just hopes," his son Jarrick said in a heartfelt plea.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Person System, South Carolina has 276 men and women missing as of October 2023.
Morgan Duncan, a 27-year-old battling schizophrenia, has been missing since Nov. 28.
His mother, Latanza Duncan, describes him as a kind and gentle soul, active in his community, "Morgan would go in his community and ask the senior citizens can take their trash out and be of some service to anyone. I say he kept busy trying to be a good citizen in our community,".
Adding, "This is just a nightmare; what I am trying to do is stay focused and bring him home. "
Investigations into missing persons cases involve meticulous processes, as explained by Carol Tarte, Lt. Special Victims Unit with the Kershaw Sheriff's Office.
"We have to look into social media records, phone records, bank records, travel records. That can take several months to process just to get records back and then analyze them, but that time that it takes to get to that person is just significantly longer than that 24-48 hours that is portrayed on TV," she says.
Despite the challenges, Benji's family clings to hope, urging others not to give up hope even when the first critical hours pass.
"I really can't describe it. It's tough, I can tell you that, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Jarrick says.
As the holidays draw near, the city of Sumter and Kershaw County grapple with multiple ongoing missing person cases, including Sophia Van Dam and her son Matayo, who were reported missing in August.
The City of Sumter has four other cases, including Tommy Brailey, who has been missing since August 2017.
In Kershaw County, the search continues for Jennifer Beverly, who has been missing since Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.
Authorities urge anyone with information on these or other cases to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.