Family of Aiken man found burned in car speaks for the first time

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s been a week since we learned the name of the man who was found burned, in his car and murdered on an old dirt road in Aiken.

According to authorities, the fire didn’t kill him.

Trey Powell’s cause of death was ruled homicidal violence.

Neighbors on Boggy Gut Road, found his burned car on July 28, through DNA testing. Investigators discovered the body inside, was Powell.

For the first time, his family is speaking to us about the crime that took their loved one and the search for his killer.

His sister Porsha Powell says it was a normal weekend. Her brother was never in one place, always out and about. He was happy and cutting jokes.

But nothing about this case, his disappearance, the road where neighbors found his burned car, or the state his body was in, makes sense to his family.

Powell’s sister says, “You would never think somebody would do that because he bothers nobody.”

She describes her older brother as quiet, funny, loving, respected, and humble.

“We always were together from you know, growing up to adults, or whatever. And Trey’s a fun person, very quiet, as my friends say, like, he put the H humble. He’s a humble person,” his sister shares.

6 months after neighbors on a rural road discovered his car on fire, she still doesn’t know who is responsible.

“Whoever had a part in it eventually they’ll pay the cost, everybody who had a part in it. And then it’s hard because like you go on day to day but to me, I feel like it’s people right around you, you know, they ride up and down the road, pass by knowing they did something my brother will never get back,” Porsha Powell says.

His death left a trail of grief in its wake.

His sister shares, “Everybody, a lot of people are mad, not just us you know, you got friends and family, everybody is hurt by this. How do you do this to a person that doesn’t do anything to nobody? So it’s like people angry people want revenge.”

Aiken County deputies say help from the community can play a huge part in closure.

Aiken Captain, Eric Abdullah, says, “Community engagement, obviously helps any investigation and usually turns out to be a positive thing to where that information is shared with us to where it gives us a direction to go in cases like this.”

For now, the family relies on their faith and good memories of trey to carry them through.

“Just him being him popping up at my house. There he always saying, Sis what you got going on? I’ve just always used him popping up just wishing he could pop up one more time,” Porsha Powell states.

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