NOV 30, 2020
Columbia police complete search for remains of missing mom in debris from Lamine River - ABC17NEWS
The Columbia Police Department has finished its search for the remains of missing Columbia mother Mengqi Ji.
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Police spent months searching the Lamine River with local and state partners.
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When they pulled the levee out of the water, crews took around 25 truck loads of debris to an undisclosed location and searched through it.
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Crews laid the truck loads of debris out in rows and let it dry. Police then used human remain detective K9's to search the debris.
Detectives then searched by hand, with a sifting table, and heavy equipment.
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"Literally you have to go through all 25 loads on hands and knees and feel your way through it," he said.
Police did not find anything in their search, meaning Elledge could go to court without any DNA evidence of Ji's death.
Criminal Attorney Mike Hamilton said without a body or any remains it could be much more difficult to convince a jury of murder.
"If they found anything just to show that she was in that river, that would bolster what their theory is which is that she was killed and brought there and dumped," Hamilton said. "Without a body it's purely circumstantial and a jury may not buy it."
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He said it is still possible a jury could find Elledge guilty.
"It depends on how much the judge lets in. I mean, opinion evidence, 'Oh she'd never go.' I mean, is that going to be admissible. Well the prosecutor's going to have to do that to present their theory, or what I think their theory in the case is," he said.
Hamilton said if there is a conviction it could be overturned based on the lack of a body and individual rulings around the pieces of evidence in the case.
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He said the search through the debris is one of the things that either side could try to bring in or block.
A trial in the murder case has not been scheduled yet.
Have there been further updates? I was searching NAMUS and noticed her profile is on there. I'm so glad they aren't just letting this go cold.
