Where was Adriana Laster found? Suspect charged as body of missing SC woman located 13 years after disappearance

The remains of Adriana Laster, who had been missing since September 4, 2011, were discovered recently in Elgin, South Carolina. The last time Laster was seen, she was heading towards the church. According to authorities, the man she lived with was possibly behind her disappearance. Since no remains have been found until now, the case took a backseat.

Freddie Grant, the man Laster was living with, was reportedly the last person to see her alive. Law enforcement officials are now treating the case as a homicide after the remains were found. Grant has already been convicted of kidnapping and murder in a separate case in 2012.

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28-year-old Adriana Laster's remains have been discovered on January 12, 2024, after she disappeared over a decade ago

The incident can be traced back to 2011 when 28-year-old mother Adriana Laster went missing. She was last seen alive heading towards the church, and since then, her whereabouts have been unknown.

According to authorities, they have found sufficient DNA evidence in the remains recently discovered, which helped them conclude that it was the missing woman. According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Grant soon after the identification was done.

A construction worker first discovered the victim's remains in a sandpit near Highway Church Road in northeast Richland County. According to Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford,

"She didn't bury herself, this is not some suicide. She didn't dig that hole herself."

While investigating Grant's past record, authorities discovered a disturbing fact. He had been convicted of kidnapping and then killing Gabbiee Swainson, a student at Ridge View High School. Authorities suspected Grant since the beginning but couldn't go forward due to the absence of the body. Police described the remains found and mentioned that they first spotted a leg bone in the pit that was about five feet deep, as reported by WLTX.

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The case became a cold case until the remains were found recently

The State reported a statement issued by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott regarding the discovery. According to Lott,

"This is about closure to the family, to finally know where she is and what happened. This is a case about justice."

He further spoke about the suspect and added,

"I called Freddie Grant a monster back then [in 2013], and I'll stand here and call him that because that's what he is. A monster continues to haunt this community."

The discovery of Adriana Laster's remains was made public in a news conference on Friday, January 19, 2024. Authorities haven't charged Grant regarding either Laster's disappearance or killing as of now. However, according to Elgin Mayor Melissa Emmons, formal murder charges will be filed against him. After the horrific discovery, all the missing person posters for Laster were brought down.

The case is currently an ongoing investigation, where officers from the Elgin Police Department are trying to unearth all the details about Adriana Laster's disappearance and eventual death. In 2022, a vigil was organized for the victim; however, a proper investigation has begun only recently.