Columbia Police Make Arrest in Deaths of Mom, Daughter

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Police in South Carolina have made an arrest in a 2011 killing of a mother and her 3-year-old daughter that authorities called one of the most brutal crimes they have ever seen.

Columbia police announced on Twitter they will give details about the arrest and how the case was cracked at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Investigators said 25-year-old Candra Alston and her 3-year-old daughter Malaysia Boykin were found dead in their apartment.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts has never said how the mother and daughter were killed, but said it was one of the most brutal and horrific acts he has ever seen.

A story in The State newspaper in January said investigators had hit a dead end after 200 interviews and 150 DNA tests.