A small army of family and friends demanded accountability from local officials on Saturday in the death of 14-year-old Kaden Moses of Clinton.
Kaden was shot to death 14 months ago while he and a friend were in Kaden's room, and no arrest has been made. SLED says the investigation is closed, pending new evidence; but an attorney assisting the family says they had a meeting with prosecutors on Wednesday and "they have a decision to make."
The family seeks to have the person who was in the room with Kaden that night charged, based on forensic evidence, and brought before a Family Court judge. This case of "death in secret" has attracted a worldwide audience on at least two podcats. People seeking justice for Kaden rallied at the Hillcrest Square Judicial / Services / Administrative Center in Laurens on Saturday, starting an 11 a.m. Organizers said they had secured the parking area with permission from the Laurens County Sheriff's Office until 1 p.m.
Kaden's supporters rallied with and talked to two other Clinton families awaiting justice in the deaths of their sons.
A more complete article will be in this Wednesday's Clinton Chronicle but, in the meantime, this is our previous reporting on the unsolved mystery and unsettled legal case involving this young man's untimely death:
A Mystery (&) A Case Closed
Kaden Moses' death has attracted the attention of Crime & Cask
Posted Sunday, November 10, 2024 1:00 am
Kaden’s mom has gotten letters from a SLED official and from a state lawyer saying, in essence, “we told you nothing more can be done; now, believe it.”
Vic MacDonald-Editor
So, reading the obituary below, would you have thought this is a homicide? As far as I know, local authorities have not publicly announced this as a homicide, although a published report indicates the medical examiner classified it a homicide - “death at the hand of another”. Now, just a few weeks short of a year later it has become a Tik Tok sensation, and a petition, and a Go Fund Me to seek South Carolina authorities’ cooperation in reopening a homicide investigation, which could result in charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter against an individual, or it could just be an accident. First, the death notice:
Kaden Thomas-Lee Moses
CLINTON - Kaden Thomas-Lee Moses, 14, of Edgewood Drive, passed away, Saturday, December 30, 2023 at his home.
Born January 26, 2009 in Charlotte, NC, he was a son of Jordan Thomas Moses and Erika Nicole Presley Moses. Kaden was a freshman at Clinton High School, where he enjoyed playing baseball and football for the Red Devils, and was also a member of the F.F.A. In addition to sports, Kaden loved hunting, fishing, being outdoors, cooking, and spending quality time with his family. He had the purest, kindest heart full of love. Kaden was a cherished son, brother, devoted friend, and passionate athlete. He attended the Lydia Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Surviving in addition to his parents, are his four siblings, Kiely Moses, Kaylen Moses, Kason O’Neal, and Keightley Moses; his grandparents, Ricky Moses of Franklin, NC., Patricia Moses of Spartanburg, John Presley (Heather) of Moultrie, GA., and Alexis Bell of Tampa, FL.; his aunts, Carly Moses, Cheyanna Bell, Emily Presley, Meghan Presley, and Bailey Wyckoff; and his girlfriend, Madysen Smith.
Funeral Services were conducted 2 p.m., Friday, January 5 from the Gray Funeral Home Chapel of Clinton with Rev. Kenny Moore officiating. Burial followed at Pinelawn Memory Gardens.
The family received friends prior to the service from 12:00 to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Clinton High School Athletic Booster Club, PO Box 1131, Clinton, SC 29325; or Clinton High School FFA Chapter, PO Box 1131, Clinton, SC 29325.
Condolences may be expressed to the family online by visiting www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Clinton is assisting the Moses family with services.
The State Law Enforcement Division likely does not know this has become a Tik Tok sensation, because state law bans the use of Tik Tok on state devices. There is conflicting reporting, but Tik Tok is seen in some arenas as a tool of the Chinese Communist Party to spy on Americans. Both major political parties are using it to reach voters in Tuesday’s Nov. 5 General Election. The Tik Tok information comes from an Oct. 21 follow-up article on the Crime & Cask website, following its initial reporting of Oct. 4. The on-line petition seeking justice for Kaden says this:
Why this petition matters
Started by Caitlin Lewis
As a mother myself, I was deeply moved by the story of Kaden Moses, a young man whose life was tragically cut short. The sheer strength displayed by Kaden’s mother as she seeks justice for her son moved me so much, that I felt compelled to act.
In Clinton, South Carolina, Kaden’s case remains unresolved, bringing a heavy cloud of injustice over the head of his grieving family. We understand that law enforcement’s duty is complex and demanding, but we firmly believe that the pursuit of justice should never be compromised.
As of now, despite pleas from the community, the case has not been reopened. Kaden’s family and friends wait, in the mournful grip of unresolved grief, hoping for the day that the person responsible for their loss is held accountable.
We implore the Clinton, South Carolina Police Department to reconsider their decision. A reopening of this case would not only benefit the Moses family but would also send a powerful message to the community about the persistent pursuit of justice. Above all, this action could contribute towards societal trust in law enforcement, a factor that according to a Gallup poll in 2020, has declined over the years (Gallup, 2020).
To all who read this, we ask for your support. Your signature can help amplify our collective voices calling for justice for Kaden Moses. We invite you to stand with us, to insist on the reexamination of this case, and to ensure that each cry for justice is met with responsive, compassionate action. Please sign this petition today.
here is a link to an article explaining the case https://crimeandcask.com/14-year-old-kaden-moses-homicide-and-timeline-of-events/
Kaden’s family believes SLED has not tried hard enough to find and prosecute Kaden’s killer. The situation is confused by the fact that only two people know exactly why the young man wound up dead in his room during a night of playing video games - and one of them is dead.
This is the conundrum that law enforcement confronts sometimes -- there is not enough physical evidence (for whatever reason) to charge someone with a crime, not to mention “actual malice”. Or, sometimes, there is a suspicion that the person who could be considered a suspect is “too well-connected,” familywise, to be prosecuted. I have seen both sides.
I have sat in a meeting where the Solicitor has to tell families, backed up by law enforcement, “There is nothing more we can do.”
And, I have sat in a courtroom where a person charged with strangling another person to death went to jail for life, a sentence confirmed on appeals. The suspect was the son of a well-respected high school counselor and the victim was the daughter of a State Trooper. In another, a contract-killing, the suspect was the son of a Bishop and the victim was the daughter of a State Senator. Also, remember, although it came too late for some victims, South Carolina authorities have successfully prosecuted Alex Murdaugh, one of the most well-connected people in South Carolina, at least BEFORE the law caught up with him.
Our stand is this - if there is ANYONE, or any ones, with credible evidence connected to this case, they should be in touch with SLED. Kaden’s mom has gotten letters from a SLED official and from a state lawyer saying, in essence, “we told you nothing more can be done; now, believe it.” The family cannot get the full investigative file because state law does not allow SLED to make that disclosure where the death involves a minor - Kaden was 14 when he died. He is considered a “child” in the law’s eyes, until the magical act of 17. We presume this law exists because of abuse/death cases involving young children, and the need to protect identities.
This is where credible evidence steps in - and “credible” does not mean some social media post or hearsay, “bragging” but these CAN point law enforcement possibly in a direction that could produce leads.
If you know something and you’re not speaking, believe me when I say it, that is a heavy, heavy burden to carry for the rest of your life.
A Mystery Continued
TikTok and other social media ways to ask questions
Posted Monday, November 11, 2024 1:00 am
All Erika Moses wants is accountability for her 14-year-old son’s death. That is something the Judicial System is not going to provide.
Vic MacDonald-Editor
Ever since President Donald J. Trump and others told me that TikTok is an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, I have tried to avoid it. I’m not sure what they would want to find out about me, in terms of personal information, but I just know I don’t want them to have it. Yet, because TikTok is a powerful political tool, President Trump has used it in his (successful) attempt to win a second term as President of the United States. Vice-President Kamala Harris uses it, too, in an attempt to win her first term as President of the United States (the vote was yesterday).
And, they use it because it’s where “the young people” get their news and information - filtered, of course, through the lens of the TikTok maker. I say all this because there are two TikToks pinned and two more existing on the Crime and Cask website related to the homicide of former Clinton High School football player Kaden Moses. In truth, one is just a promo of one coming up later; however, taken in total, they do make a compelling case for having fresh eyes take a fresh look at this unsolved homicide in our community.
On Dec. 30 of this year, it will be 1 year since Kaden died (details are in my column in the Oct. 31 issue of The Chronicle). Crime and Cask has taken on this matter with special interest, now that the Murdaugh murder has pretty much played out. When I hit it Oct. 31 for an update, I found that Crime and Cask had 462 following, 85.9K followers and 1.1 Million likes. There’s a Change.org petition that has gained 341 names. There is a GoFundMe that has earned $735 of a $25,000 goal from 17 donors. The original TikTok about Kaden was Aug. 30; the recent follow-ups were Oct. 19, Oct. 21 and Oct. 23. And so, the case is still closed.
All Erika Moses wants is accountability for her 14-year-old son’s death. That is something the Judicial System is not going to provide. She was told that in a meeting on May 3, 2024. She was warned off trying to pursue any more official documents in a Sept. 30 letter from Paul T. Ahern, III, Deputy Counsel of the State Law Enforcement Division - he and another person, Thomas H. Robertson, Major, Investigative Services, SLED, have told Erika that the investigative information she wants cannot be made public as it is shielded through SLED’s Department of Child Fatalities (Kaden was 14 when he died of a gunshot) - AND they let her know that if she does get the information, that makes her guilty of a violation of the provision that is punishable by a $500 fine or inprisonment of not more than 6 months, or both (SC Code Ann. 63-11-1990(G)). A June 14 letter says there will be no prosecution in this matter, Erika is told in one of the SLED letters.
There must be a good reason why SLED’s investigations of child fatalities are so super-secret. These files are not subject to subpoena, discovery, or the SC Freedom of Information Act - they are not public records as defined by SC Code Ann. 30-4-20(c) and are “specifically exempt” from disclosure. These investigations are so sensitive we are not allowed to judge if they are well-investigated.
I’m not offering a solution here. I’m just remembering that when I was the Editor of The Newberry Observer, we and The Clinton Chronicle successfully, in court, changed the way SLED was told to look at investigative files once a determination was made that there would be no criminal charges filed. That case involved the late Bobby Harris who ran the Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority and stemmed from a state case that went federal and a court-trial. Mr. Harris was the only one charged and he was not age 14, and he was not a victim. In a criminal investigation like Kaden’s, something must be different.
Vic MacDonald is Editor of The Clinton Chronicle. In June, 2025, he will observe his 50th year as a community journalist. Reach him at 864-833-1900 or news@clintonchronicle.net
