The tragic death of a young mother under mysterious circumstances left the family with questions for many years. Kadie Major was found dead by some railway tracks in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, with her infant daughter’s body located close by. CBS News’ ‘48 Hours: Fatal Crossing’ delves into this shocking case and explores the potential reasons behind the death of the mother and daughter. So, let’s find out what happened then, shall we?
How Did Kadie Major Die?
Kadie Lee Hall was born in Michigan in February 1981. The 26-year-old was described as a vivacious and free-spirited woman living the dream when she suddenly died. Kadie married Aaron Major in 2003, and the two had a daughter, River Lynn, in 2007. She was a homemaker who enjoyed being a mother and taking care of the house. At the time of the incident, Kadie was also pregnant with their son, Aadon.
At around 8:20 am on January 17, 2008, a railroad worker found Kadie and River’s bodies by a train track in Moncks Corner. Kadie had a deep cut in her lower abdomen and the right thigh. Her 10-month-old daughter, River, was located floating in a creek about fifty yards away; she had drowned. At the time, investigators believed that Kadie was hit by a train, with the impact resulting in River getting thrown into the creek. Kadie’s death was ruled a suicide, and it was believed she killed River. However, the case was reopened in 2018, with the deaths being investigated again.
Was Kadie Major Killed?
According to Kadie’s mother, Vicky, Aaron came by her house at around 1:44 am on January 17, claiming that Kadie was paranoid and headed out of the house in her car with River. The family searched for the mother and the baby but could never find them alive. After the bodies were found, the authorities questioned Aaron, who had repeated something similar to them as well.
Kadie’s husband told the police that she had been acting strange that night, that she wanted to leave home because she believed someone out there was about to kill her. Aaron further stated that Kadie had been dealing with postpartum depression. Then, a note found in her pocket had writings mentioning the Antichrist and talking about spiritual warfare. All signs pointed to Kadie being delusional and throwing herself in front of the train in a murder-suicide.
The case was closed quickly after that, but Kadie’s mother was not convinced her daughter would kill herself. So years later, she hired a private detective and looked into the case again. They learned that Aaron provided inconsistent stories regarding Kadie’s behavior the night she took off from home. Her younger sister, Sarah, who was at the Major home while the family was out searching, said she saw something unsettling as well. A highlighted passage in a Bible that referred to sacrificing the firstborn.
Furthermore, Kadie’s obstetrician stated that she never saw any signs that led her to believe Kadie was dealing with postpartum depression. However, the officers conducting the original investigation never questioned the doctor. In September 2018, the authorities reopened the case and believed that Kadie was not suicidal at the time of her death.
It was also revealed that evidence from the scene indicated that the initial investigation got the direction of the train that potentially hit Kadie wrong. A detective confirmed, “Originally, they said a southbound train hit her. The evidence shows it was a northbound train.” Something else that stuck out was that Aaron claimed there was a radio report of the bodies of a woman and a child being found by the railway tracks. However, no such report existed.
The new investigators looking into the case also found it hard to believe that, after parking the car, Kadie walked a relatively long distance in the rain and with a baby in tow. They felt that the couple might’ve gotten into an argument that night, leading to Kadie leaving and Aaron chasing after her at the train tracks (Kadie’s wedding rings were found in her pocket and not on her finger). They considered multiple possibilities, including Kadie being killed somewhere else and being dumped by the tracks. While the investigation is still ongoing, the authorities officially named Aaron Major the only suspect in the case.
Read More: Where is Vicky Hall Now?