Nephew And Acquaintance Charged With Cold Case Murder

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)- Columbia Police have arrested two men in connection to a 2015 cold case murder.

Cold Case Investigators arrested and charged Floyd Owen, 33, and Charles Brandon Barham, 30 with the September 2015 murder of Charles Kusko.
Owen was arrested June 9, 2017 and is charged with murder, first degree burglary, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime.

Barham was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and is charged with murder, first degree burglary, conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime.

Authorities say Kusko was found when they went to his Budon Court home during a welfare check.

His daughter, Laurin Barnes said since the day she found out about her father’s death her family’s world has never been the same.

“We miss him every single day,” Barnes said.

For more than a year the Columbia Police Department has been following up on leads to find his killer.

“If there is a take away that anybody should have in these matters is we don’t quit,” Chief Holbrook said. “Families need to know that we don’t quit and the perpetrators of these crimes need to know that we don’t quit.”

Now, more than a year later there is a sigh of relief.

“All me and my sister want is our dad back, but now all that we can hope for is justice and today with these arrest we are one step closer to that,”Barnes said.

The two men knew Kusko. Owen was his acquaintance and Barham was his nephew.

“I can’t fathom that anyone would do this to my dad,” Barnes said. “But there are truly evil people out there and those two are that.”

Kusko’s daughter’s say they’ll continue to stay strong for their father.

“The timing of all of this the week of father’s day is fitting,” Barnes said. “Happy father’s day dad I know that we’re making you really proud.”