GOOSE CREEK, S.C. – A man accused of murdering his wife in Goose Creek more than two decades ago has been returned to the United States after spending more than 21 years as an international fugitive, marking the end of one of the U.S. Marshals Service’s longest-running manhunts.
Dan Hiers Jr., 53, is back in U.S. custody after deputy U.S. marshals traveled to Shanghai, China, this week to take custody of him and escort him back to the United States, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Hiers is wanted on a Goose Creek warrant charging him with murder in the March 15, 2005, death of his wife, 24-year-old Ludimila Hiers. He is also wanted in neighboring Dorchester County on charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
According to investigators, Ludimila Hiers was found dead inside the couple’s Goose Creek home on March 15, 2005. Goose Creek Police allege she was shot once in the back of the head while she was sleeping.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Hiers, but he vanished before he could be taken into custody.
At the time of his disappearance, Hiers had already been suspended from the Charleston Police Department after being accused of sexually abusing a minor in Dorchester County. He had been arrested by the North Charleston Police Department on Nov. 24, 2004, on allegations of committing lewd acts involving a child under the age of 16 and was released on bond.
Investigators said Hiers was scheduled to surrender to authorities on additional Dorchester County charges on the same day his wife was killed. Instead, officials say he never met his attorney at the sheriff’s office and disappeared.
The U.S. Marshals Service later obtained a federal warrant charging Hiers with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. In June 2005, the agency added him to its prestigious “15 Most Wanted” fugitives list, making his capture a top national priority.
READ MORE: CNN’s John Walsh To Highlight Ex-Cop Accused Of Goose Creek Murder, Molestation
Over the years, the case gained national attention through repeated features on America’s Most Wanted and The Hunt with John Walsh, keeping the decades-old investigation in the public eye.
U.S. Marshals Director Gadyaces S. Serralta said Hiers abused the public trust placed in him as a law enforcement officer and said his return to South Carolina represents years of persistence by investigators.
Officials also credited the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, China’s Ministry of Public Security, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI for helping locate, apprehend and coordinate Hiers’ return to the United States.
Nicholas Collura, who leads the Diplomatic Security Service, said the case demonstrates that time and distance do not prevent U.S. authorities from pursuing fugitives accused of serious crimes.
What Happens Next
Hiers is expected to face the pending murder charge in Goose Creek, along with the criminal sexual conduct with a minor case in Dorchester County. Authorities have not yet announced when he will make his first court appearance in South Carolina.
