Serial killer shot, caged and tortured his victims then left weapon reviews on Amazon

Estate agent Todd Kohlhepp was keeping a huge secret but also left taunting clues online

- GAIL SHORTLAND

Friends put missing posters up around the small town of Anderson, South Carolina. Loved ones started social media campaigns and the community was on the lookout as it went about its daily business. Young couple Kala Brown and Charles Carver had vanished – and there were no clues. They had only been dating seriously for a few months but had moved in together and were planning their future.

Hardworking Charles, 32, who operated a printer at a local business, had not long separated from his wife and was in the midst of a divorce when he met Kala, 30.

The pair were in love and determined to build a life together. But no one had seen them since August 31, 2016. Kala had left her beloved Pomeranian dog in their apartment with no food or water, while Charles’ car was missing and he had not taken any clothes.

Everyone was worried – until there was activity on Charles’ Facebook page. It said they were fine and had bought a house. It even suggested they had married. But relief quickly turned to disgust when it became clear it wasn’t Charles updating his status.

The grammar and spelling were unlike him – and there was no way they would have gone through such major events without telling family, especially as Charles was not even divorced yet.

The cryptic messages made everyone even more concerned. Was someone responsible for their disappearance going online and pretending to be Charles? It would be two months before there was more news.

Police traced the last known signals for the couple’s mobile phones, which led them to a property owned by respected local estate agent Todd Kohlhepp.