Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office - Spartanburg County

o tragediesgood person who was killed by a predator.”The homicide hit home with many in local lawenforcement. Sheriff Chuck Wright was one ofthe deputies who guarded the crime scene in theearly days of the investigation.Investigators spent countless hours searchingSatterfield’s trailer for clues. They had detailedconversations with friends and acquaintances ofSatterfield, and they visited the victim’s gravewith hopes the killer would return to commemoratethe anniversary. Three nationally-knowncriminal profilers studied the case at variouspoints in the investigation.Reward posters adorned the walls of local businessesand the Sheriff’s Office. The case alsodrew the attention of “Unsolved Mysteries,” andthe “Montel Williams,” television shows.“Everyone in the community felt like they wereviolated because someone raped and murdered amother of two, who was working hard doing theright thing,” Wright said.Investigators compiled and pursued more than500 leads while they built a case file that grew toinclude nearly 9,000 pages of information.During the trial’s opening arguments, SolicitorGowdy credited the tipster – David MichaelPace - with saying Vick told him hours beforethe killing that he was attracted to the 27-yearoldhairdresser, and he was going to get his haircut that evening. Pace later testified about whathe was told. Testimony from a door-to-doorsales woman, Diane Harris, helped define thetime of the homicide and the murderer’s flightfrom the crime scene.Other witnesses testified about seeing Vick’sFord Bronco parked behind a neighboringbusiness.Solicitor Gowdy also brought a full-scale modelof the bathroom where Satterfield was foundinto the courtroom. The replica enabled jurorsto enhance their perspective on the deadlysequence of events.“I hope the recent court decisions enable thefamilies of Tamika and Dana to rest easier andmove forward with their lives,” Solicitor Gowdysaid. “Both families displayed class and courageduring their long waits for justice.”The cases of Huston and Satterfield were two ofmore than two dozen murder cases resolved during2006. The victims include Kenneth Bristol,Javar Butler, Brandon Daniel, David O. Foster,Quinton Foster, Harold L. Greer Sr., JoeHarrison, Willie Hillard, Tavaris Howze,Keishana Knuckles, Tamerio V. Littlejohn,Shamon Martin, Dewayne Moore, PamelaOwnby, Ray Von Cannon, Nitesh Patel, GeorgeA. Scott, Jerry Smith, Robert Tennant, GloriaVictoria Thomas and Nicholas Thomas.Sheriff Wright said he hopes the Satterfield caseserves as inspiration for his investigators and thefamilies who are enduring long waits for justice.The sheriff has a framed photo of Vick beingled out of the courtroom in handcuffs that heprominently displays in his office.“I look at the picture and smile,” Wright said.“I think one down, many more to go. We willnever quit trying in our fight for justice.”Jonothan Vickreceived a lifeprison sentence inNovember after hewas found guilty ofmurder, criminalsexual conduct andkidnapping.ChristopherHampton received alife prison sentencein April after hepleaded guilty tomurder.Dana Satterfield