In February, it will be 5 years since Pamela "Faith" Roach disappeared from Walhalla, South Carolina. Amidst the Southern Yellow Pines and February fog, Roach is out there... somewhere. Last seen in the area of Corey Road and Coffee Road in Walhalla, Roach went missing just a few days after the death of April Jones. As controversy surrounds her death, so too does it abound in the case of Faith Roach.
Faith's Story
Faith Roach cared about people. She lit up a room when walking in, and even if she didn't know you, she would strike up a conversation to help you feel comfortable. According to her aunt and mother, "She could walk into a room and change the entire atmosphere."
Unfortunately, Faith turned to drugs due to the trauma she experienced in her life. One of which was the death of her 6-month-old baby, Havok. This tragedy pushed Faith into needing an escape, and in turn, her drug addiction put her around many unsavory players in the Walhalla community.
Faith was living with the Vadjic family when she went missing. According to her family, Joey Vadjic and David Vadjic were her drug dealers, and that's why she lived with them. Faith's Aunt and Mother, Gail and Cindy, said they found out Faith was missing when they called her phone and Joey answered where they discovered that Faith had not been home in 2 days.
Her family reported her missing, but they felt like, at the time, the Sheriff's Office didn't take her disappearance seriously. Just a short while later, when the anniversary of the death of Baby Havok came and went, and Faith didn't show up to his graveside, alarm bells started ringing.
Her last Facebook post was on February 4th, 2019, and it stated, "Lick log falls with my homie Argo." According to the Facebook page Bring Faith Home, "Last Seen Feb. 5th when she went for a ride with a friend to the mountains. The friend dropped her off on Coffee and Corey Rd. in Walhalla, SC. but the individual has since changed his story three times. She has not been heard or seen since that day. Family members reported to deputies that an anonymous person believes she is in danger and is being held against her will, according to a report from the Oconee County Sheriff's Office."
The last time her family spoke with her was 2 days before her alleged Facebook post. Why alleged? Some speculate that Faith didn't make the post, but that someone else did to cover their tracks, and she actually went missing before February 5th.
Jonathan Argo stated that he dropped Faith off near the "White House" at the corner of Corey and Coffee Rd. The last reported sighting of Faith was by a man nicknamed Boston (Kevin Maler), and his story is that he saw her get into a burgundy mini-van. Kevin Maler was staying with Barry in his camper when it burned down. Shockingly, the day Faith Roach went missing.
Let's not forget what the "White House" is. This house was frequented by April Jones, the woman who was found murdered just days before Faith's disappearance. In fact, she was at this very house in the days leading up to her death, and Faith told people she heard a woman being beaten there a short time before she went missing and the day before April Jones was found deceased.
A long-time friend of Faith's, Barry Neal, found some of Faith's belongings on the side of the road a few days after Faith's disappearance across from the Tunnel Town Gas Station. Former Investigator, David Mcmahan, did a search warrant on Neal's house and found Faith's diary. "I believe Barry Neal knows where her body is. I believe he's got something to do with it." Unfortunately, there wasn't enough evidence to charge Barry Neal with Faith's disappearance; however, there was evidence during that search to charge him with sexual exploitation of a minor.
Interestingly, Kevin Maler was staying with Barry Neal in his camper; however, it burnt down the day Faith posted her last Facebook post about going to the falls, and this comes 1 day after Barry Neal and Kevin Maler exchanged texts about something bad happening up the mountain. Kevin Maler feels like the authorities are trying to blame him for Faith's disappearance. He said in a prison phone call to Eric Alan, "I've stuck my nose out in places that and gone places and asked questions about Faith, that they wouldn't go. Because according to them she was just a junkie just like I am. Just a throw-away person...I never even met that girl."
As previously stated, Kevin Maler said he saw Faith get into a burgundy minivan, and some in the community believe that van to be David Vadjjic's van. Faith was living with David, Tammy, and Joey Vadjic at the time of her disappearance. However, Vadjic says he was in Clemson delivering medications during this time. A community member took a photo of Vadjic at the Cricket store with scratches on his face turning one of Faith's cell phones off just days after she went missing. Vadjic says it was MRSA, not scratches, and that he didn't turn her phone off until July.
Key Players:
Jonathan Argo
A friend of Faith who she mentioned in her last Facebook post going to Lick Log falls
He last dropped her off near the White House
Charged with sexual exploitation of a minor
Kevin Maler
Drug dealer and owner of the White House
Multiple charges against him including the murder and kidnapping of Kevin Craig
Currently incarcerated for drug charges at Livesay Correctional Institution
Passed a polygraph test about Faith's disappearance
Last saw Faith get into a burgundy van outside his house
Kevin Craig
Found deceased on Craigsville Dr. on May 26, 2019
Investigators believe Maler killed him because he had information about Faith's disappearance
Barry Neal
Maler's former drug deal driver
Found Faith's stuff on the side of the road
Camper burnt down the morning Faith went missing
Faith's diary found in his house during search warrant
David Vadjic
Was an Uber driver
Owns a burgundy minivan
Seen in cricket store shortly after Faith went missing shutting off service to one of Faith's phone with scratches on his face
Says they weren't scratches, it was mrsa, and her phone stayed on until July
Says he believes Faith is alive
Was delivering medication in Clemson the days Fatih believed to have gone missing
Joey Vadjic
Had Faith's other phone
Says they swapped phones before she went up the mountain with Jonathan Argo
In love with Faith
Took Faith on drug runs with him
Josh Kundolf
His last Facebook post was February 5, 2019 - the same day as Faith's
Found hanging in the rafters of his shed 6 days after posting
Had multiple drug charges
Believed to be a confidential informant for police
Was blocked on Facebook by Faith
April Jones
Found deceased in her shed by her husband with bruises and rope burns
The medical examiner said bruises were so apparent due to the cold temperatures
Most in the community feel that she was murdered
She and Faith were both seen at the White house within days of Jones being murdered and Faith going missing
A few months later, a man named Kevin Craig was found murdered, and many in the community thought it was because of what he knew. More to come in Part 3 of this mysterious tale.
If you have any information regarding these cases, please call the Oconee County Sheriff's Office at 864.638.4111 or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Oconee County on their website.
Written By: Jennifer
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