Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Rose Tattoo’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Homicide Hunter: American Detective’ delves deep into the 2017 murder case of Leon Harrison Jr. When his body surfaced in the Black River after more than a couple of weeks of his disappearance, shockwaves are sent across the community. As the investigators followed up on the leads, they zeroed in on the perpetrators involved in the killing of Leon. Thanks to the exclusive in-depth interviews with the victim’s loved ones and officials linked to the case, viewers get a detailed account of it all.
Leon Harrison Jr. Was Found Floating in the Black River After Going Missing for Over Two Weeks
Son of Leon Harrison Sr., Leon Harrison Jr. was born in the 1980s and was quite close to her mother. So, it was a huge blow to him and his family when she passed away. After completing his education, he got into a serious relationship and became the father of two adorable children. However, things didn’t work out between him and his partner, so they parted ways amicably. Later, he found love in another woman named Tiesh Rhue and tied the knot with her.
In February 2017, Leon got the opportunity to become a part of the work crew involved in building the new bridges on Highway 701 near Yauhannah. On February 25, he went missing from his home at 1015 Highmarket Street in Georgetown, but his disappearance was reported on March 9, 2017, by his father and his former partner, who was the mother of his two children. A couple of days later, his partially decomposed body was found floating in the Black River near Colonel Cole Drive in Georgetown County by a riverfront homeowner on March 11.
When the police pulled him out of the river, they inspected and discovered that Leon’s body was tightly bound at the limbs by multiple loops of speaker wire. Due to the poor condition of the body, the detectives could neither confirm that it was Leon’s nor they were able to determine the cause of death. However, a tattoo on his arm, which was dedicated to his late mother, was used to positively identify him. On the spot, the disappearance case was turned into a homicide, and an extensive investigation was launched to look for the responsible killer/s.
Leon Harrison Jr. Was Murdered and Disposed of by the Family of a Close One
As the investigators interviewed potential witnesses and Leon Harrison Jr.’s loved ones, they found out several details about the victim’s life and the circumstances under which he disappeared and got killed. The detectives learned that Leon and his wife, Tiesh Rhue, were going through a rough patch and had been involved in a heated argument the night of February 25, 2017. Then, they decided to inspect the couple’s Georgetown house. There, they discovered a couple of sections of carpeting were cut off from the bedroom floor. The prosecutor told Live 5 News, “Blood was found on the carpet padding and had soaked into the sub-floor. DNA analysis matched the blood to Harrison.”
The investigators found more suspicious evidence against the Rhue family as Tiesh’s brother, Alexander Rhue, Jr., and father, Alexander Rhue, Sr., were seen on surveillance footage of Walmart at 1 am on February 26. They reportedly purchased two bottles of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, officials also reported, “Cell phone records and the new technology of Google geo-fencing revealed that all three of the Rhues turned off their cell phones around 2 a.m. that night. The defendants gave false information to law enforcement and attempted to conceal evidence in the case.”
In light of all the evidence against the Rhue family, 56-year-old Alexander Rhue Sr. was taken into custody on March 31, 2017, and charged with accessory after the fact of murder and obstruction of justice. Meanwhile, the victim’s wife, Tiesha Rhue, was arrested on April 6, 2017, and charged with accessory after the fact of murder. Within the next month, Tiesha’s brother and Leon Harrison’s brother-in-law, 34-year-old Alexander Rhue, Jr., was arrested and charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and desecration of human remains in connection to the demise of 29-year-old Leon.
Tiesh Annette Rhue and Alexander Rhue, Jr. Are Behind Bars at Different South Carolina Prison Facilities
On October 11, 2017, the joint trial for the three defendants, Tiesh Annette Rhue, Alexander Rhue, Jr., and Alexander Rhue, Sr., commenced. After eight days and five hours of deliberation by the jury, they reached a verdict on October 20. The jury found 37-year-old Tiesh Annette Rhue and 38-year-old Alexander Rhue, Jr. guilty of murdering Leon Harrison Jr. They also convicted their father, Alexander Rhue Sr., of obstruction of justice. Although all three Rhues were also arrested for desecrating human remains, they were not convicted for the same.
Moreover, their conspiracy to murder and accessory charges were dismissed. Thus, Tiesha and her brother, Alexander Rhue, Jr., were each given 37-year imprisonment sentences for the murder charges and an additional eight years on the obstruction charges, with each sentence to be served concurrently. On the other hand, their father, Alexander Rhue, Sr. was sentenced to eight years in prison for the obstruction of justice charge, which was to be followed by three years on probation. Since he had already served 549 days of jail time, his sentence was suspended until that time.
Several family members of Leon Harrison Jr. attended the trial during the sentencing. One of them was a first cousin of the victim, Reese Moultrie. She told GAB News, “We are a close family. Yes, he was my cousin, but we were close. We were raised like we were siblings.” At the time of the verdict, the victim’s father had a smile on his face for the first time since the tragedy. She added, “He told me he can finally sleep now.” Tiesh Annette Rhue is incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution, while Alexander Rhue, Jr. is serving his sentence at Perry Corrections Department.
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