From Ashely Hunter – City of Cayce: The City of Cayce is providing this follow-up statement to the notification of the arrest of Kendall Lamont Moody in the Murder of Heather Renee Jordan, 30, of West Columbia. Ms. Jordan was found in a home on the 1600 block of Northland Drive on Sunday, September 26.  

It is also a follow-up and describes the connection to an incident that occurred earlier at approximately 3:00 AM on Friday, September 24. Here, a Cayce Police Department Officer observed a traffic violation involving a white pickup truck on Charleston Highway. The vehicle was weaving within the lane and a traffic stop was initiated. A brief vehicle pursuit ensued until the driver exited the vehicle on foot. Officers followed the suspect, who then fired shots on Cayce officers. 

Thankfully, no officers were injured. 

Connecting the Two Incidents:

Cayce investigators followed every lead and processed all evidence in both the September 24 and September 26 incidents, even after the arrest of Moody.  In doing so, they identified that Charles Cavin Craft and Michael Allen Ponder Sr., both of West Columbia, were linked to the homicide of Heather Renee Jordan and the moving of her body after the fact.  Additionally, Craft was identified as the driver of the stolen vehicle involved in the pursuit two days prior. 

The following charges and arrests have been made:

• Michael Allen Ponder Sr., of West Columbia, has been charged with Accessory after the Fact of Murder

• Charles Cavin Craft, of West Columbia, has been charged with Accessory after the Fact of Murder, Attempted Murder, Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, Resisting Arrest with a Deadly Weapon, Possession of a Firearm during a Violent Crime and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

Ponder and Craft have been taken into custody and a final suspect has been identified and is pending release from a behavioral health treatment facility before being charged (name is not being released until charges are made).

What We Want our Community to Know:

The Cayce Police Department wants citizens to be reassured that your officers work diligently 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The closure being brought by these arrests to the victim’s family is thanks to the relentless pursuit of justice and hard work by your Cayce officers. We know that this was not a random crime but a targeted violent act which resulted in our victim senselessly losing her life. Violence and criminal behavior in Cayce have not and will not be tolerated.

Cayce Police Chief, Chris Cowan, will be available to take brief media questions this afternoon. To set up an interview, please contact Cayce PIO, Ashley Hunter at [email protected].

Should anyone have additional information about the September 24 and September 26 incidents and subsequent arrests, please contact Cayce Dispatch at 803-794-0456.