Renee Eldridge : “Family seeks justice 9 years after Columbus woman’s murder”

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – Thursday marks the ninth anniversary of the day a Columbus woman went missing.

Renee Eldridge was found three days later face down in a creek under Hopewell Road Bridge in Chambers County. The man accused of the killing remains in jail awaiting trial.

Renee’s family says they used to celebrate the fourth, but now it’s a day they visit where she was laid to rest. They are hoping their daughter and sister’s murder case to go to trial soon.

It’s been nearly a decade since the body of 25-year-old Renee Eldridge was discovered partially submerged at the Osanippa Creek under the Hopewell Road Bridge in Valley.

“My sister was kidnapped from her home,” said Hawk. “She was sexually assaulted and she was beat to death. She was tied up and dumped in a creek.”

On the eve of the day police said she went missing nine years ago, we met with her older sister Nicole Hawk.

“I was big sister and she always looked to me for, you know, protection,” she explained. “I was her protector and to not be there in that moment, it’s hard to live with.”

After many court appearances and interviews, Hawk says she’s felt many emotions since the death of her sister.

“It’s a roller coaster of emotions, you know, from sadness to disappointment with dealing with courts and the way they’ve continued to fail my sister,” Hawk said. “So, you have anger behind that, but just sadness…we miss her,” said Hawk.

We spoke with district attorney Don Kelley about the case. He says there have been many factors delaying this case, including the retiring of one judge and the replacement of another. The next steps will be to set a trial date.

“This is a pretty complex case just because the movement of the body,” said Kelly. “The body being dumped in another state, which is bringing people from Alabama to testify, and at one point, the federal government got involved to do some of the investigation and testing. So, we may be bringing people from D.C. area to testify to that.”

Over the years, Renee’s grave has more company with more family members being buried at her side – recently her grandfather.

“My grandfather, who played a major part in my sister life, that’s all he wanted was to be here and see justice, and we’ve lost major support,” Hawk said. Two of my aunts, both of my mum’s sisters, and then a cousin, who was extremely close to my sister.”

If she could talk to her sister today, Nicole says she would tell her:

“I’m going to fight until there’s no more breath in my body, I’ll be a voice for her and I’m going to fight until she gets justice that she deserves.”