Maria Fernandez 31, SC Nurse Missing 9/3/08 (remains found)(BF Convicted)

[MuffyBee]

Dec 23, 3:42 AM EST

Mother of missing SC nurse seeks help solving case

By MITCH WEISS
Associated Press Writer

 UNION, S.C. (AP) -- When Susie Fernandez drives, she tries to glimpse every face in passing cars. In stores, she glances at people in aisles and checkout lines.

She's been doing it ever since her daughter, a nurse and devoted mother of a little boy, vanished in September.

"You try to have faith," said Fernandez, who fears her 31-year-old daughter is dead. "Not knowing what happened is just unbearable. It just consumes your life. You just have this pain in your heart that won't go away."

The sharpest pangs come from two thoughts: Fernandez said she believes she knows who is responsible for her daughter's disappearance, and she doesn't feel anybody outside her family is paying attention.

"At times, it seems like no one really cares except us," Fernandez, 47, said recently as she sat in her living room, surrounded by photos of her four children and grandson, Jamel Good Jr.

Maria Fernandez was last seen Sept. 3. Her boyfriend - the father of her son - initially told police he picked her up from work that day. But authorities say Jamel Good's story is muddled. He hasn't been charged, but Union County sheriff's investigators say Good is a "person of interest" in the disappearance and is not cooperating.

His attorney, Thomas White, disagrees.

"He's been cooperative with them. There's no evidence that links him to any kind of crime," White said.

Meanwhile, Fernandez's relatives have been frustrated by a lack of new information.

In their minds are details of how authorities handled another missing persons case in the area. When Susan Smith told police in 1994 that a man stole her car with her two children inside, a large-scale manhunt ensued. Investigators later discovered Smith had killed the boys.

"Where are all those officers now?" said Fernandez's aunt, Toni Davis, 42. "Where is the media?"

While thousands of people go missing each year, cases involving white children or attractive white women typically are the ones that attract media attention. Experts say it takes a passionate advocate to bring attention to a case involving a black person, such as Fernandez.

So her mother has been trying to get people interested. Susie Fernandez has posted fliers asking anyone with information to contact police. She's offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Inside her house, off a busy road leading to this small city in north-central South Carolina, Maria Fernandez's three siblings recently listened as their mother recounted her daughter's life.

Fernandez was a popular nurse at the Ellen Sagar Nursing Home and at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, working two jobs to support her son. She worked long hours, but was at the school bus stop with the boy every morning.

Susie Fernandez said her daughter dated Good for nearly nine years and was living with him at his father's house. But in early September, Maria spent several nights at her mother's home, saying she was leaving Good because he refused to get a job.

On Sept. 3, Good picked up Fernandez at her mother's house because her car was in the shop. He drove her to the nursing home and when her shift ended at 2:30 p.m., Good was waiting.

And that's when the story gets murky.

Authorities say Good told police they went together to look at a new house. Later, Good said he dropped Fernandez off at his father's house and left. When he returned hours later, she was gone.

Numerous attempts to contact Good and his father, who authorities say live together, were unsuccessful. No one answered the door at the house on two visits. An answering machine said it wasn't accepting messages. White said that he hasn't heard from his client in two months, but that police know everything his client knows.

Good has been convicted of several crimes in the past 10 years: driving with a suspended license, drug possession and writing a fraudulent check. With each case, he either received a suspended sentence, probation or a small fine.

Sheriff's investigator Terry Humphries said police don't have enough evidence to charge anyone. He said police have searched several locations and found pieces of Maria's broken cell phone on a roadside.

Humphries said Fernandez would not have willingly left her son.

"She was totally dedicated to her child. There was no way she could leave him behind," he said.

Meanwhile, Fernandez's relatives say they are unable to see Jamel Good Jr. because his father has custody and refuses to let them visit.

As she was preparing for church one recent Sunday, Susie Fernandez dropped to her bed and began sobbing. Her 12-year-old daughter embraced her, whispering, "It's OK, momma. She's in a better place."

Later, looking out her front door, Fernandez brushed back a tear.

"There are so many nights I just wonder: Where are you? What happened?" she said. "I just want to bring my baby back home."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MISSING_NURSE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Nut44x4]

Such a beautiful young woman.

[Nut44x4]

Man Accused Of Giving False Information in Missing Woman Case
 
Published: September 11, 2008

Investigators say a man gave them false information in the case of a missing Union County woman.
He is now behind bars.
Maria Fernandez, 31, disappeared eight days ago. The Union County Sheriff’s Office believes she may be the victim of foul play.
The sheriff says last week they interviewed a man named Dennis Bruce Talley who is an acquantaince of Fernandez and her boyfriend.
The sheriff says he gave them information on two occassions that proved to be false and he says this hampered the investigation at a critical time.
The sheriff cannot say what the information was. He says Talley failed a polygraph and is charged with “false swearing.”
The sheriff says they have received several tips from the public that they are following up on, but they are eager for more information.
If you know anything call CrimeStoppers at 427-0800.

Co-workers are holding a candlelight vigil for Maria Fernandez (missing Union County woman) to night at 8:00 at Foster Park in Union.

http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/man_accused_of_giving_false_information_in_missing_woman_case/8372/

[Nut44x4]

Investigators Search Missing Woman's Home
UPDATED: 11:22 am EDT September 19, 2008

UNION, S.C. -- Investigators conducted a search Thursday at the home of a Union County woman who has been missing since early this month.

The Union County Sheriff's Office said that deputies, State Law Enforcement Division agents, a crime-scene unit, and the state Department of Natural Resources executed a search warrant at the home of Artetha Maria Fernandez on Blue Ridge Road.

Fernandez lived at the home with her boyfriend and the home is owned by the boyfriend's father.

The sheriff's office said that investigators were there at the home for more than six hours and found some "items of interest" to the case.

Those items were taken by SLED for further examination, investigators said.

Earlier reports from investigators indicated that Fernandez was last seen at her job at the Ellen Sagar Nursing Home.

But investigators said Friday that after constructing a timeline based on information from friends. co-workers and others, they now believe Fernandez was seen at the home on Sept. 3.

Investigators said that there have been no calls on Fernandez's cell phone nor any activity on her financial accounts since then.

Union County investigators said they believe it will be next week before they get any information from SLED about the items taken from the home.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/17512503/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

Union sheriff appeals for help to find woman
foul play is suspected

Published: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 9:43 a.m.
The Union County Sheriff's Office asked for the public's help Monday in finding a 31-year-old mother who has been missing since Wednesday.

Aretha Maria Fernandez, 31, was last seen about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when she left work at the Ellen Sagar Nursing Home. Her cell phone is off, and she hasn't reported to her other job at the Spartanburg Regional Heart Center or contacted her family and 5-year-old son, according to the sheriff's office.

At a news conference Monday morning, Sheriff Howard Wells said he has reason to believe she might have "met with some foul play."

"Right now, we're treating this as a missing person," he said. "As with any case like this, we're in a fight against time, and we're appealing for anyone with information to come forward."

Wells said Fernandez's boyfriend is a person of interest, as he is believed to be the last person to have seen her. The boyfriend is supposed to have dropped Fernandez off for work and was expected to pick her up Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff said. Wells would not disclose the boyfriend's identity because the man is only a person of interest and has not been charged with a crime.

According to News Channel 7, investigators acting on a tip descended on a Dumpster at a Li'l Cricket store in Pacolet and took it to a location where Union County deputies and SLED agents searched it. The Sheriff's Office did not say whether investigators had found any evidence in the Dumpster but did confirm the search was related to the Fernandez case.

Susie Fernandez, Maria's mother, said she was concerned when Maria didn't show up Wednesday evening. She said her worry grew when she failed to reach Maria on her cell phone.

"At first it would ring, but after awhile, it just went straight to voice mail," the mother said.

Susie Fernandez filed a missing-person report on Friday. She said her daughter is an attentive, loving mother, and it isn't like her to leave her son, not to call or to be absent from work.

"She would bring (her son) to the emergency room, even if he got a small scratch. That's the kind of mother and caring person that she is," Susie Fernandez said. "We're hoping she is OK and that maybe she's just in a place where she can't call us."

Maria Fernandez went back to school in August to complete her registered nurse's certification.

Her co-workers described her as hardworking and likable.

"Ms. Fernandez is well respected among her co-workers and is a reliable and valued member of the Ellen Sagar Nursing Home team," said Nikki Harris, a spokeswoman for the Union County Hospital District.

"She always wears a smile and has a wonderful personality. All employees of the Union Hospital District are concerned and pray for her safe return."

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080909/NEWS/809090340/1083/NEWS01&title=Union_sheriff_appeals_for_help_to_find_woman

[Nut44x4]

Aretha Maria Fernandez
Union, SC made headlines years ago as the site of the Susan Smith tragedy. Union is in the news again as one of their citizens has gone missing, a beautiful 31 year old mother, Aretha Maria Fernandez was last seen after clocking out from her job at Ellen Sagar Nursing Home around 2:30 on September 3, 2008. It is assumed her boyfriend picked her up as he usually did, but has not been verified.

When investigators tried to talk to Maria's boyfriend, whose name has not been released, he and his family had already hired attorneys and will not answer questions without them. This is their right under the law, but it's also something that has raised a few eyebrows. According to a statement by Sheriff Howard Wells, “The most valuable person who could give us information in this case is the boyfriend and his family".

With so many unanswered questions there is not much for investigators to go on. One person, a friend of the couple, has been arrested for giving false information to them. What do these people have to hide? and why are they not fully cooperating to help find Maria?

According to her co-workers and family, Maria was a responsible, reliable person with a wonderful, sunny personality. Her mother, Susie Fernandez, reports that Maria and her unnamed boyfriend had been having some problems and Maria and her son were staying at her mother's home. Her boyfriend picked up Maria and her son that Wednesday morning and was to pick them up after work.

Maria was an attentive mother, by all accounts, and worked weekends so she could be present to put her son on the school bus each morning and be home for him after school. Family members also say she would NEVER leave her son behind, and fear that foul play is suspected.

A little 5 year old boy is wondering what has happened to the person who is his world.

Investigators are running against time with little cooperation from those who would know, all the while Maria's son is without a mother.

Once again, a relationship on the rocks, a mother who is somewhere with no car, no cell phone, no money, no personal belongings.

And a child left wondering with no answers.......... 
http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com/2008/09/aretha-maria-fernandez.html

[Nut44x4]

Remains Tentatively Identified As Missing Woman's
Dental Records Identify Skeletal Remains, Sheriff Says

POSTED: 3:46 pm EST January 8, 2009
UPDATED: 4:58 pm EST January 8, 2009
UNION, S.C. -- Dental records tentatively identified skeletal remains found in Carlisle on Wednesday as those of a missing Union County woman.

The remains were found by a utility worker around 5 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area near the intersection of High Point Road and Herbert Road.

Union County Sheriff David Taylor said the remains were tentatively identified as those of 31-year-old Maria Fernandez, who went missing on Sept. 3.

Taylor said an autopsy is scheduled for Friday to determine how Fernandez died and how long her body had been in the wooded area.

Friends and family of Fernandez gathered in December at a vigil to remember her. They said at that time they did not believe Fernandez left of her own accord.

“Maria would never leave like this, especially not leave her child like this,” said Susan Fernandez, who was in attendance at the vigil.

Investigators have said Fernandez’s boyfriend was the last person to see her alive and is a person of interest in the case.

Taylor urged anyone with information in the case to call Crime Stoppers at 864-427-0800.


Previous Stories:
January 8, 2009: Body Found In Carlisle On Wednesday
December 18, 2008: Missing Mother Did Not Leave On Own
http://www.foxcarolina.com/news/18440144/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

Sheriff Tentatively ID’s Remains Found In Carlisle
Deputies told us Thursday that they—along with SLED officers—were investigating skeletal remains found in Carlisle.  Sheriff David Taylor tenatively identified the remains as those of Maria Fernandez in a news conference that streamed live on wspa.com on Thursday.
http://www.wspa.com/        video

01/08/09 4:46 PM

[Nut44x4]

Published: Friday, January 9, 2009 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 9, 2009 at 9:21 a.m.

Family of Union County missing nurse seeks justice
Union Co. sheriff thinks skeletal remains belong to missing nurse

UNION - The family of a Union County nurse and mother felt a measure of closure Thursday after law enforcement officials tentatively identified skeletal remains as that of 31-year-old Maria Fernandez.
Now, they want justice.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, newly elected Union County Sheriff David Taylor said officials were "in the process of positively identifying" the victim, but a forensic pathologist used dental records to give the tentative match. An autopsy is scheduled for today, from which Taylor hopes to learn how Fernandez died and how long her body had been in the woods.

Maria Fernandez's family reported her missing on Sept. 3 after she left work at the Ellen Sagar Nursing Home, where her car was later found. She also worked at the Spartanburg Regional Heart Center.

Evidence collected
During a wind storm Wednesday evening, a South Carolina Electric and Gas utility worker checking power lines found scattered remains off High Point Road, south of Carlisle in the Sumter National Forest area, about 100 yards from railroad tracks. Authorities with the sheriff's office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Union Public Safety, as well as other local and state officers immediately secured the scene, and investigators were still collecting evidence late Thursday.

No weapon has been found, and clothing found near the remains has not been linked to Fernandez.  (????????)

"Right now, we suspect foul play in this investigation," Taylor said.

The case has not yet been ruled a homicide, and no suspects have been named. When asked about possible suspects, Taylor said, "We're looking at everyone right now."

Fernandez's mother, Susie Fernandez, said the news she received Thursday was "devastating." She described her daughter as a loving child, daughter and mother of a 5-year-old boy.

"Even though I did get my closure, and I thank the Lord for that, it wasn't what I wanted, because I wanted to see her alive again," she said. "But I got closure, and I can rest. Now I want justice done."

Taylor called Fernandez's disappearance "a very emotional case," both for him personally and for those who knew her well.

As the tentative identification was announced inside the Union County Courthouse, Fernandez's friends and former co-workers muffled sobs of sadness and relief.

"We can all find a little peace knowing she's in a safe place," said Andrea Holler, who worked with Fernandez at SRMC's Heart Center.

"It's a void," Holler said. "We every day miss her. You just hope she's going to walk off the elevator and come back to us. Now, she's not."

Anyone with information about Fernandez's disappearance or death is asked to call authorities.

"If somebody knows something, they really just need to let their conscience get the best of them and come forward," said Jennifer Timmons, SLED communications director.

Information can be called into the Union County Sheriff's Office at 429-1612 or to CrimeStoppers at 427-0800.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090109/ARTICLES/901091067

[MuffyBee]

Jan 8, 6:11 PM EST

Sheriff says remains likely missing SC nurse

By MITCH WEISS
Associated Press Writer



UNION, S.C. (AP) -- A sheriff said Thursday afternoon he is "99.9 percent sure" human remains found in a wooded area in northern South Carolina are a nurse who's been missing for four months.

Union County Sheriff David Taylor and several other law enforcement officials broke the news to the family of 31-year-old Maria Fernandez before heading to talk to reporters.

"We're 99.9 percent sure it's her," Taylor told Fernandez's mother, Susie, who broke down in tears and hugged a relative. Fernandez, the mother of a 5-year-old boy was last seen Sept. 3.

When one relative asked Taylor how she died, the sheriff said he did not know, but promised to find whoever was responsible.

Police have said Fernandez's boyfriend is a person of interest in her disappearance and is not cooperating. He has not been charged with a crime.

Union is about 55 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C.

Before he left, Taylor told the family: "Don't do anything stupid, don't do anything to get in trouble. Let law enforcement handle it."

Fernandez's family has complained that police weren't doing enough to find her.

Later at a news conference, Taylor said a utility worker fixing downed power lines during a storm found her body Wednesday night and called police.

With the help of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, they identified the decomposed body. She was identified using dental records, Taylor said.

Taylor said investigators were still collecting evidence from the crime scene, but declined to discuss details. He said an autopsy would be performed this week to determine her cause of death.

"We suspect foul play and we're trying to determine ... how long she was in the woods," he said.

Taylor also said he hasn't had a chance to question Maria Fernandez's boyfriend, Jamel Good. The last time investigators talked to him, Good showed up with his lawyer, Thomas White. A telephone message left at White's office wasn't returned Thursday afternoon, but he has said his client had nothing to do with her disappearance.

Maria Fernandez's body was found about 100 yards from railroad tracks. Police had searched near the area before.

After hearing that her daughter was dead, Susie Fernandez said the pain was "just too hard to take.

"No family should ever go through this," she said. "No family."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MISSING_NURSE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[Nut44x4]

Published: January 12, 2009
Union County Sheriff David Taylor says Monday a pathologist has officially identified remains found Wednesday as belonging to a missing nurse.In addition, the sheriff says the coroner has ruled her death a homicide. But he says it is going to be very difficult to determine how she was murdered because of the long amount of time her remains were in the woods.
Maria Fernandez, 31, was reported missing in Sept. 2008.
Taylor says her remains were scattered over a large area due to wildlife in the area.
He says despite these conditions, he is optimistic that arrest warrants will eventually be issued for her killer.

Taylor says, despite what an attorney for Fernandez’s boyfriend told the Associated Press two weeks ago, Jamal Good has not cooperated after giving investigators a very brief initial statement shortly after Maria’s disappearance.
A News Channel 7 reporter went by Maria’s mother’s home. She was there but a cousin came out and told us she is not ready to talk, she is having a tough time.
A funeral date has not been set but the family is already gathering.
http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/sheriff_confident_suspect_will_be_found_in_missing_nurse_case/13336/

[Nut44x4]

Friends, Family Say Tearful Farewell To Maria Fernandez

Elizabeth Owens
Published: January 31, 2009

A bitter sweet goodbye for the family of 31 year old Maria Fernandez.  Friends, co-workers, and family said their last goodbyes to the young mother Sunday at Union County High School.

A worker with a power company found the remains of Maria Fernandez in early January.  The young mother disappeared in early September.  Union County deputies suspect foul play, but they still have not identified her killer.

Travis Fernandez wasn’t sure how to feel at his sister’s funeral.  “It’s been four months now and I feel like he is walking out,“ he said about the killer.  “Right now we got closure.  Now we want justice,“ he said.

Deputies identified Fernandez’s boyfriend as a person of interest.  He has custody of their five year old son.  Neither attended her funeral on Sunday.

http://www.wspa.com/spa/news/local/article/maria_fernandez_funeral/14115/

[Nut44x4]

Monday, February 09, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
Boyfriend of slain SC nurse charged

UNION, S.C. (AP) -- Authorities say the boyfriend of a South Carolina nurse whose remains were found in a wooded area has been charged in the woman's death.

The Union Daily Times reports that 28-year-old Jamel Dwane Good was arrested early Monday morning in the death of Maria Fernandez.

He had been named a person of interest in the woman's disappearance.

A call to Union County Sheriff David Taylor was not immediately returned Monday.

Fernandez's remains were found last month in a remote area by a utility worker. She was last seen Sept. 3.

Law enforcement officials planned an 11 a.m. news conference to announce the arrest.

http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=257395

[Nut44x4]

Boyfriend Charged In Nurse’s Death Denied Bond
Jamal Good Charged In Maria Hernandez’s Death

POSTED: 1:55 pm EST March 4, 2009
UNION COUNTY, S.C. -- The boyfriend of a Union County nurse who is charged in her death was denied bail on Tuesday.

Jamel Good, 28, is charged with murder in the death of Maria Fernandez. Good was arrested outside his home Feb. 9.

Fernandez, 31, was never seen alive after Sept. 3. A utility worker looking for fallen lines found Fernandez’s remains in January in a wooded area off High Point Road near Herbert Road in Union County. She was identified through dental records.

Investigators have said that Good is not cooperating with them and that they are asking anyone with information about the case to come forward.

An arrest affidavit says that Good admitted that he last saw Maria at the house they shared on Sept. 3. A neighbor reported hearing gunshots from the home on Blue Ridge Road early in the evening on that same day.

Fernandez has a 5-year-old son. Good is the boy's father and the child is currently living with Good's family.

Good is being held in the Union County Detention Center.
http://www.wyff4.com/news/18853873/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

[Nut44x4]

6-Year-Old: Dad Buried Mom In Back Yard
Child Testifies About Day Mother Died

POSTED: 11:37 am EST December 8, 2009

UNION, S.C. -- The 6-year-old son of a woman who was killed testified on Tuesday that he saw his father bury his mother in the back yard.


The child took the stand during the second day of the trial of 29-year-old Jamel Good. Good is charged with killing his girlfriend, Maria Fernandez. He was arrested outside his home on Feb. 9, 2009.

Fernandez, 31, who was a nurse in Union County, disappeared on Sept. 3, 2008. A utility worker looking for fallen lines found Fernandez’s skeletal remains in January 2009, lying in a wooded area off High Point Road near Herbert Road in Union County. She was identified through dental records.

An arrest affidavit said that Good admitted that he last saw Maria at the house they shared on Sept. 3. A neighbor reported hearing gunshots from the home on Blue Ridge Road early in the evening on that same day, though the official cause of Fernandez’s death is unknown.

Solicitor Ken Brackett said that investigators found Fernandez’s earrings, three shell casings and a cell phone in a trash barrel behind Good’s house.

Fernandez's 6-year-old son testified Tuesday afternoon. When asked where his mom was now, her son answered, "With Jesus."

Fernandez's son said on the last day he ever saw his mother, he played soccer with her. He said that afterwards, his parents went into the house and into their room.

The boy was allowed to talk with little questioning. WYFF's Mike McCormick was in court and said the child was hard to follow, but the boy did say that he was there when his mother died.

The boy said he thought he saw a camera flash at the time of his mother's death.

He said, "It was this camera. My dad was smiling. She was not. She died when the camera flashed."

When the defense questioned him, about the flash, he said he heard a sound come from his parents' room.

The defense attorney said, "That thing you said you heard -- what did it sound like?"

The boy answered, "Chhhh." And said that was what happened when he saw the flash.

He said, "My dad buried her." When he was asked where, he said, "In the back yard. He had a shovel. Then he digged a hole and put her in there."

Good's Friend, Others Testify

Tuesday’s court proceedings started with testimony of a bank loan officer, Mike Watson, who dealt with Fernandez. At the time of her death, she was applying for a loan to buy a home for her and her son, according to Watson.

A real estate developer and broker took the stand next and talked about dealing with both Fernandez and Good.

The trial started Monday evening immediately following jury selection. Five witnesses testified on Monday.

Dennis Tally, a friend and relative of Good, also took the stand on Tuesday. Tally testified that on Sept 3, 2008, he and Good went to Fernandez's brother's house to do work.

Tally said on the way they stopped at a gas station where Good bought beer and rubbing alcohol. They headed toward Spartanburg and stopped, Tally testified. Good got out, went to the back of the car and smashed a cell phone on the pavement, according to Tally. Good got back in the car with the broken cell phone and said that he and Fernandez were mad at each other, said Tally.

Good and Tally then went to Fernandez's brothers house in Spartanburg. Tally said Good was rushing him through his work.

On the way back to Union, Tally they stopped at a car wash, where Good washed his car and used the rubbing alcohol to wipe down the interior of the car. Good also threw away the driver's-side floor mat and got Tally to buy an air freshener for the car, Tally testified.

Tally also testified that Good burned the trash after September 3, and that when they went to dump the barrel with the burned trash inside, they saw and a tire iron in the ashes. Tally said that Good took the tire iron away.

Fernandez’s mother, who was sitting in the front row of the courtroom, broke down during Tally’s testimony.

In cross examination, the defense attorney strongly challenged Tally's credibility by pointing out that what he was testifying to the jury didn't match what he told investigators when questioned in September 2008.

Union County Coroner William Holcombe took the stand after Tally, just before noon. He testified about finding Fernandez's skeletal remains. He also told the jury that he does not know what caused Fernandez to die.

Case Background

A man who worked with Good told investigators that while he was driving with Good on the night of Fernandez’s disappearance, he heard a noise coming from the trunk. He said Good pulled over and went to the trunk and banged something against the side of the car. Investigators later found the face plate of Fernandez’s phone where the car had been stopped.

Investigators said that when they checked Good’s car, it smelled like cleaning chemicals and the carpet from the trunk had been removed. They also said that they found a specific type of grass in the undercarriage of Good’s car that grows in the area where Fernandez’s body was found in January.

Good and Fernandez had a son who was 5 at the time of her death. The child was last reported to be living with Good's family.

Good’s attorney, Doug Brannon, has said that his client has an airtight alibi. He said Good was at Fernandez’s brother’s house doing work on it on the night that his girlfriend disappeared. He also wanted bond for Good, and said he is not a flight risk. The prosecutor disagreed, and said that Good is a flight risk because he has family elsewhere. The judge denied bail. Good has been in Union County Detention Center since his February arrest.
http://www.wyff4.com/news/21896873/detail.html

The link has many past reports on the case....

[Nut44x4]

   

Jury Returns Verdict In Maria Fernandez Case
Jamel Good Convicted Of Murder

UPDATED: 5:28 pm EST December 11, 2009

UNION, S.C. -- A jury returned a guilty verdict Friday afternoon in the case of a man who killed his 31-year-old girlfriend.

Jamel Good was convicted of murder in the death of Maria Fernandez.

Before Good was sentenced, Fernandez's mother and brother addressed Judge James Williams.

WYFF News 4's Mike McCormick said several people in the courtroom and even jurors cried while Susie Fernandez spoke.

Travis Fernandez addressed Good directly and said, "I will be a better father to your son than you could ever be."

The judge sentenced Good to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Speaking to Good, Judge Williams said, "I cannot find it in my heart to show mercy to you."

Travis Fernandez said he wished for a worse punishment for his sister's killer. He said, "I really wish the judge would've released him amongst the real people out here in Union County. That would've been a living hell."

The defense requested a new trial, but Williams refused. The defense said they felt there was reasonable doubt, but the judge disagreed and said that he sided with the jury.

After the sentencing, Susie Fernandez said, "It feels wonderful. It's just wonderful. I'm glad this is over with. Now I can focus on my grandbaby. But I'm glad this is over with and I want to thank everyone that was involved in helping -- that was standing by my side. I'd like to thank them all and I'm happy today."

"I'm sure Maria's looking down on me right now smiling. She's smiling," Fernandez said. "I'm sure we'll see the star in the sky tonight."
http://www.wyff4.com/news/21896873/detail.html

[Sister]

I will pray the little boy gets to live with his mom's parents.