Bodies found near train tracks
Mother, 10-month-old daughter killed
BY ANDY PARAS
MONCKS CORNER — Authorities say they might never know what happened to a pregnant 26-year-old woman and her 10-month-old child who were found dead alongside railroad tracks Thursday morning.
A CSX Railroad employee came across the bodies of Kadie Major and her daughter, River, around 8:15 a.m. Thursday near Oakley Road, Berkeley County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Salisbury said.
The Post and Courier
Berkeley County officials investigate where two bodies, a mother and her infant daughter, were found Thursday morning near Oakley Road.
Major was lying near the tracks with massive injuries, consistent with being hit by a train. Friends say she was several months pregnant, but authorities declined to comment on that until after an autopsy is done today.
The infant was found floating facedown in a creek about 50 yards away, dressed in a pink one-piece outfit and shoes, Salisbury said.
The child did not have any visible signs of injury and did not appear to have been hit by a train.
Berkeley County Sheriff's spokesman Blair Jennings said there were no signs of foul play and no suicide note.
Coroner Glenn Rhoad said they're investigating the possibility that the child flew out of her mother's arms when she was hit by the train, but they don't know for sure. Officials said it's possible the child floated downstream from where her mother was hit.
"I don't think we'll ever know for sure," Rhoad said.
Salisbury said they hope to determine the exact cause of death following autopsies today.
"We're determined to try to get a better indication of what was going on in her life," Jennings said.
Investigators were talking with Major's husband and parents to determine what happened leading up to the deaths.
Jennings said Major was last seen around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Family members did not report her or the child missing, but they spent the night looking for the two, he said.
Deputies found Major's white Chevrolet pickup truck in a driveway on Oakley Road after the bodies were discovered.
Hampton Robinson said he came home from church Wednesday night and saw the truck, which he didn't recognize, in his driveway. He called 911 but declined dispatchers' offer to have the truck towed because he didn't want to cost anyone money.
Robinson reported the truck the next morning to investigators, who swarmed the scene.
Major's mother arrived at Oakley Road early Thursday afternoon and broke down in tears when she saw her daughter's truck.
She declined to comment for this story, but she asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate the possibility that her daughter's pickup truck broke down.
Major's mother owns a horse farm on Old U.S. Highway 52, about a mile and a half from where the bodies were found.
Jennings said investigators weren't able to test the truck Thursday. There was only one set of keys, and investigators did not find them at the scene or on Major.
Nine trains passed through that area between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Jennings said. Investigators hope to recover video footage from the trains to help determine what happened.
Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or aparas@postandcourier.com.
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DanniD (anonymous) says...
Very, Very sad. I hope that her family is able to get through this difficult time.
January 18, 2008 at 6:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charlene68 (anonymous) says...
This does sound kind of strange, cause one would think that if the truck broke down , that she would have walked down the road so someone could help her, not the railroad tracks... that dont make sense to me... hope we find out soon and my sympathies to the family.
January 18, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scfirefly (anonymous) says...
Though it's not the most likely explanation, this story does suggest an alternative theory. If her car did break down on Oakley Rd, walking back to her mother's along the rail road track would be the quickest, easiest way in the dark.
That poor girl! My heart just breaks for her family!
January 18, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
This is so sad...... I wish the family well.
January 18, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tygers1231 (anonymous) says...
Her truck was parked in a driveway of someone she did not know. My heart breaks for her family. I will keep all in my thoughts and prayers. 3 lives taken away and the mystery with what really happened.
January 18, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bocachic8 (anonymous) says...
Such a loss, Kadie was a true friend. I know she is in a better place now. I hope that they are able to find out what happened to her and her baby. My heart breaks for her family!!!!
January 18, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Perspective (anonymous) says...
Government was quick to solve this one! Did they have time for an autopsy before getting on the news saying there was nothing suspicious?
At face value it looks like she may have been on hard times, thrown the baby in the creek and stood in front of train, but what if...
someone found her walking, assualted or killed her, threw baby in creek and put her in front of train to be run over to cover up crime?
Considering there was no note, the truck had not been checked to see if it broken down, the keys were missing?, and the baby was 50 yards from the mother without trauma.... doesn't that raise enough questions not to jump to the conclusion that it was not foul play?
Give this girl, her baby, and her family a thorough investigation.
January 18, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Perspective (anonymous) says...
There are studies that show a train traveling DIRECTLY at you is very difficult to hear until it is too late. That is one reason you should never walk on train tracks because if the train is coming from behind you and does not use the horn - you are going to be hit.
January 18, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scfirefly (anonymous) says...
I just pray that if there is video, It will never be made public. I can't imagine anything more painful, but some people will be demanding a viewing.
If law enforcement concludes there was no foul play we shouldn't second guess them. They will know her state of mind after talking to the family. I hope the press will show some compassion and not demand every horrible detail from her grieving family.
January 18, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Magpie (anonymous) says...
Kadie was a sweet, soft-spoken, gentle (and pretty) young lady who loved her baby and her family. Kadie was well respected and a hard worker. I can only imagine that she had car trouble or ran out of gas and was walking back to her mom's the safest way she knew how. She probably thought it would be safer than walking down old Hwy 52 after dark carrying a baby -- she was a little thing, herself. She will be deeply missed by family and friends.
January 18, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sdjohnson (anonymous) says...
I met this young lady in church. Very sweet, very quiet. My prayers are with her family.
January 18, 2008 at 8:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JohnS (anonymous) says...
The train would have been moving over 50 miles a hour. It's unlikely the baby was in the creek on purpose. The trains impact could have done this.
January 18, 2008 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bwelch (anonymous) says...
if she was on the train tracks and it was night time there is no way possible to miss the extremely bright light on the front of a train in the pitch black darkness of the woods.
January 19, 2008 at 6:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCJOP (anonymous) says...
This is a horrible thing. I hope these boys call in SLED. It is a strong possibility that this is foul play. Its just too strange. The truck keys were not found at the scene and they were not at the residence so that concerns me. Then no one especially her spouse reported her or the child as missing... Very strange. My heart and prayers go out to her family.
January 19, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Mon_Kie (anonymous) says...
Maybe this can be identified as an abortion altenative.
"Who gets abortions?
Not teens; it's women with money woes, often moms already
January 20, 2008
BY DAVID CRARY
NEW YORK -- The face of abortion in American culture often is a frightened teen, nervously choosing to terminate an unexpected pregnancy. The numbers tell a more complex story in which financial stress can play a pivotal role.
Half of the almost 1.2 million U.S. women who have abortions each year are 25 or older. Only about 17 percent are teens.
About 60 percent have given birth to least one child before getting an abortion.
Regardless of race, high abortion rates are linked to hard times."
January 20, 2008 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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