Taraha Shenice Nicholson, a 28-year-old African-American woman, was reported missing on February 22, 2009. Her remains were found on March 7 in a wooded area near Seven Bridges Road in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. An autopsy determined she had been strangled to death.

Nicholson’s case became part of a broader investigation into a series of murders of African-American women in the Rocky Mount area. Authorities suspected a serial offender because several victims shared similar backgrounds and because multiple sets of remains were discovered in rural locations near Seven Bridges Road. Many of the women were known to have struggled with drug addiction and engaged in prostitution.

In September 2009 an Edgecombe County grand jury indicted 31-year-old Antwan Maurice Pittman for the first-degree murder of Nicholson; he was arrested and charged and investigators continued probing whether he was linked to other victims. The wider probe identified at least ten suspected victims, eight confirmed deaths, and left unresolved questions about whether additional perpetrators were involved.

If anyone knew Taraha, saw her in February 2009, or has information about the killings near Seven Bridges Road, please share what can help the investigation.