Murder suspects arrested
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.