Who is Vinson Filyaw?

(Florence County) - News19 traced Vinson Filyaw's steps back almost twenty years, before he committed crimes in Kershaw County. What did we find? That the man is a mystery—not only to authorities, but to the public.Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone was just a patrolman at the time, but he remembers hearing about the last time Vinson Filyaw came to his jail. "There was a supervisor here with us in the county courtroom in 1995," said Boone. "Filyaw was there for probation revocation. [Officers] noticed alcohol on him and confronted him about it. He became disorderly and was arrested."Sheriff Boone says they've got about a dozen cases against Filyaw from 1987 to 1995. Those crimes include check fraud, drunk driving and burglary. But despite a lengthy record, investigators working this case say the man is a mystery."We'd like to know more about Mr. Filyaw. Where he came from, what he's doing, what he's done in the past," said Captain David Thomley with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office.Filyaw's address records show he had more than 10 different addresses in Florence from 1989 to 1999. According to the Florence School District, he attended South Florence High School during the 1986-1987 school year, but they don't have any records of his graduation. Criminal records show that Filyaw was in Richland County in 2002—the year he was arrested for larceny and disorderly conduct. Officials say he surfaced again in Kershaw County in 2005. Over the years, officials say Filyaw may or may not have stayed in the area. Now, the Kershaw County Sheriffs Office is working to piece together his sketchy history. Despite the high-profile nature of this case, News19 has decided to remain consistent with our policy of not identifying sexual assault victims. We believe this policy works in the best interest of the victim, the family and the community.