Within hours of the discovery of an Aiken man found left for dead on the side of the road Wednesday, three Aiken man have been charged with his murder.
Derrick Valentine, 26, of Biscayne Road in Aiken, is charged with murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to possess marijuana.
Kristopher Allard Reichardt, 25, of Middleton Drive in Aiken, is charged with murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to possess marijuana.
Both men, according to an incident report filed at the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, had been using marijuana when they were arrested Thursday.
Michael Gary Smith Jr., 22, of Green Acres Park Lane in Langley, is charged with murder and conspiracy to possess marijuana. He is in the custody of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office pending extradition.
Early Thursday morning, Aiken County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested the three for the shooting death of Donald Hickman Jr., 24.
Investigators, however, aren't saying much about the murder.
Although two of the three men arrested have been charged with armed robbery, a spokesperson for the agency, Dave Myers, would not say what was allegedly stolen or what the gunmen attempted to steal from the 24-year-old victim. That information, the motive and other details are said to be part of the investigation. It is not clear if investigators are linking anyone else to the murder.
A passing motorist discovered Hickman shortly before 6 p.m. and reportedly called the sheriff's office Wednesday.
When deputies found him, Hickman had been shot multiple times. He was transported by EMS to the Medical College of Georgia hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Sheriff Michael Hunt praised the work of his investigators, saying that the quick arrests should give area residents "some peace of mind."
Hickman's death, however, is the 16th homicide reported in Aiken this year, which doubles the number of homicides reported in Aiken County last year.
Valentine and Reichardt are being held at the Aiken County detention center.
Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.
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Posted by: On: Thursday, December 17, 2009 12:29 PM
Comment Title:
listen.. you can say smith was self defense.. yea he was shot three times. but you nor i dont know if that was when he fired the first shot and the guys started shooting back then smith killed him.. listen smith has done and got away with soo many damn crimes it aint funny... i am HAPPY for once he is where he needs to be.. i feel bad that his girlfriend jess has to have the child without him but trust me this child and her is sooo much better off ... jess stay away from people like that. would you want to have your child raised up like that.. i know you and i know you would want better for that child... he is a punk and def needs to serve some time... let him be,smith you are where you need to be,,
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Posted by: AM On: Monday, November 30, 2009 9:10 PM
Comment Title:
They shouldn't get the same sentence because only one man did the shooting/killing. He says it's self defense but who knows if he is telling the truth. It could have been the other way around for all we know. He could of been trying to rob the "victim" and got shot in the process. Who knows.
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Posted by: On: Monday, November 30, 2009 7:28 PM
Comment Title: BLACK MAN!
Let me say this; this has nothing to do with if your black or white it has to do with a man being shot. I also want to add that in GA what white shootings do you know of?? Its always black shooting blacks. It dont matter if your white or black if you do the CRIME you need to man up and take full responsability of your actions and do the TIME! Yeah white people shoot whites,blacks,mexicans,koreans,and whatever kinda race but blacks do too! Why is it that everything that happens some ignorant person has to make it a race thing. GROW UP!! Its not race is crime and Im far off from being racist but how many white people over black people do you know have drugs and sells them? So stop making it all about racisim its more than that a man got shot over something so little. why shouldnt they all get the same sentence?
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Posted by: F47VJ On: Sunday, November 29, 2009 4:36 PM
Comment Title: response to the following comments
You're all idiots!
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Posted by: Agnostic No. 2 On: Friday, November 27, 2009 11:17 PM
Comment Title: re: thought for the day
There is no heaven or hell. It is just a myth drummed up to try and keep the weak minded public brainwashed.
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Posted by: Lee On: Friday, November 27, 2009 9:25 PM
Comment Title: Hey Black Man
Not only are you the racist but you are an embarrassment to your race. With your attitude and severe lack of education, it is no wonder why you write your inept comment. Next you will say that Obama is a Repulican!
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 4:54 PM
Comment Title: Call it what it is!
What happened to these young men had nothing to do with race issues; black nor white. There is a color involved - green. The crime that results because of the underbelly world of drugs leaves paths of death and destruction, shame and sorrow, hurt and confusion in our community and for all of these families. These young men were caught up in a world of literally and figurative "dead ends". It is definitely a dead end for the deceased and also for those involved in this awful crime. The drug world is a mean and evil world. But, we as a community must rise up together and take back our streets and neighborhoods. Remember "the only way for evil to exist is for good men and women to stand by and say nothing".
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Posted by: MJ On: Friday, November 27, 2009 3:46 PM
Comment Title: You idiots!!!
You people are stupid for listening to the media. They don't know the whole story!! The smith guy is the one that got shot three times before he shot back in self defense. The other two got charged with robbery because that was the plan. To kill and rob "Smith". Get your story straight before you assume. And for the black and white thing. People are people. The other white dude is the one who set the whole thing up!! WAKE UP OR SHUT UP! Know what your talking about before you judge! Don't listen to everything you hear?
And for the guy that died I am sad for his family but you get what you deserve. You intended on killing someone and steeling from them. Justice is served for once!!!
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Posted by: Jim Kelly On: Friday, November 27, 2009 2:00 PM
Comment Title:
Maybe now, FINALLY, Mr. Smith will remain in custody where he belongs. He has commited so many crimes and has managed to dodge any serious, if any, jail time. Hopefully this one will stick like glue for the remainder of his life.
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Posted by: Kayla On: Friday, November 27, 2009 1:41 PM
Comment Title: Stop the violence
There is no safe place to live because we allow our streets to be taken over by thugs.Look deeper and you will see two of these killers are not strangers to the criminal justice community.It doesn't help when Hollywood glamorizes the thug lifestyle and these kids are being raised by Comcast.
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 1:13 PM
Comment Title:
"Black Man", forget reading between the lines, how about reading THE lines you wrote. Go back to school. Don't you know. It's "Knowledge is Power" not Black Power.
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 10:18 AM
Comment Title:
I just wanted to say it is a shame that people are dying because they are trying to rob people of drugs that they shouldnt be doing in the first place... i pray for all families being effected in this. i also would like to say that the aiken standard did not get the whole account on the story... Michael Smith is being held by Richmond County because he was shot by the "Victim" several times... and all for what drugs so to me who are the victims. i believe it is the families that are left to clean up the mess. My thoughts and prayers go out the the families
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Posted by: A True College Grad Who Can Spell On: Friday, November 27, 2009 9:36 AM
Comment Title: Black Man
Hey Black Man!! If you are a college graduate then you are an embarrassment to the college to which you claim to have graduated from. How can you be a college grad when your grammar and in particular your spelling absolutely stink!! Oh thats right, you are black therefore they just let you slip on through as they do many more of your kind. You are an idiot!!!!
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Posted by: john On: Friday, November 27, 2009 9:36 AM
Comment Title: spew
"blackman" must not have studied English in college. I think you should ask for your money back. By the way, your comments are what inspire and maintain racist thought. I think I just had one.
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 9:23 AM
Comment Title: thought for the day~
when you get to heaven, IF you get to heaven, there isnt going to be a "color" thing! Why is people always bringing color into everything that happens in this world? I hope that you will stop and think about that! It's not about color, it is about your belief in heaven and hell!
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 8:19 AM
Comment Title: show me what the justices system can do for my area after all this time
The young man Man Man that got killed was the only real man in this sad story and will be remembered for ever. The story will be sadder if the three killers dont get charged with MURDER because that's what they did they left that man to die to try to hide the truth and live amongst the rest of us true people as cowards with blood on their hands. they need to make an example out of these menace to society arent t we voting for new mayors and governors. they know whats going on in this area for years now New Ellington, Beech Island,and especially in the Petticoat Junction area even the storm tried to clean up that area the devil is in those woods PLEASE HELP the family of the victim
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Posted by: On: Friday, November 27, 2009 7:55 AM
Comment Title:
Thats sad they all should made examples for the justice that is needed in that area how do you leave a man on the road to die or for some other young person to find my god
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Posted by: BLACK MAN On: Friday, November 27, 2009 7:45 AM
Comment Title: rise up
Yall be sayin the black people be killin each otha but too these boys is white boys. The one black boy is innocent he just be blamed because he black. My people needs to rise up agains the white devils and their constant attacks against our brothes and sistas. As a savana river colege graduate I studied racism so I know how to read between the lines. Our community is one the most racist place in the country. Plese stop hatin on my people or w e will form an army and take back what is ours. Black power!
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