No bond issued for Myrtle Beach man accused of killing N.C. woman he met on social media

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A Myrtle Beach man who police said is tied to a homicide investigation in North Carolina waived his right to an extradition hearing on Thursday.

William Hicks, 26, is charged with murder, robbery and kidnapping out of North Carolina in connection to KC Johnson’s death.

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Johnson was reported missing on Saturday in Wilmington. An investigation by the Wilmington Police Department determined that Johnson was killed in the 1300 block of King Street on Friday.

According to a report from WMBF News sister station WECT, Wilmington police also received a call from police in Chatham County, Georgia after they discovered human remains washed up along the Savannah River. Investigators are working to determine if the remains belong to Johnson.

Police say Johnson and Hicks met recently on social media.

Hicks was taken into custody at a family member’s home on Culbertson Avenue around 4 p.m. Tuesday. He appeared in court on Thursday morning on a fugitive charge.

During the hearing, Hicks waived his right to fight extradition to North Carolina. No bond was issued due to the murder charge.

The Wilmington Police Department has 20 days to come down to Horry County and pick up Hicks and take him back to North Carolina where he will face murder, kidnapping and robbery charges there.

Hicks was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway after his bond hearing.

Public records also detail his criminal history, which dates back nearly five years.

He was charged with first-degree assault and battery in October 2018, ill-treatment of animals in November 2018 and second-degree burglary in December 2018.

Hicks ultimately pleaded guilty to the assault and burglary charge in 2020 while the animal-related charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to three years probation.

Another arrest came in January 2022 on a separate assault case that has since been rescheduled.

“The Wilmington Police Department sends our condolences to the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time,” the Wilmington Police Department said in a release.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609.

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