WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCSC/Gray News) — A fugitive who fled to China after he was accused of killing his wife in 2005 is back in the United States and expected to face charges.
Dan Hiers Jr., 53, is wanted on two warrants out of South Carolina, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He was wanted on a Dorchester County warrant for criminal sexual conduct with a minor and a Goose Creek warrant for murder.
Authorities said the last confirmed sighting of Hiers came the day his wife, Ludimila Hiers, was killed. Goose Creek Police said Ludimila Hiers, 24, was found dead March 15, 2005, inside the couple’s home and was shot in the back of the head while she was sleeping.
An arrest warrant was issued for Hiers, but he had disappeared.
Hiers worked for the Charleston Police Department before his disappearance.
He was suspended in 2004 after he was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor in Dorchester County, officials said. The North Charleston Police Department arrested Hiers Nov. 24, 2004, accusing him of committing lewd acts on a child under 16. He was later released on bond.
Hiers was scheduled to surrender on additional Dorchester County charges on March 15, 2005, the same day his wife was found dead, but failed to meet his attorney at the sheriff’s department.
Following his disappearance, Hiers was placed on the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted list.
“Dan Hiers was in a position of public trust, but he betrayed that trust in the worst possible way,” USMS Director Gadyaces S. Serralta said in a statement. “Placing him on our 15 Most Wanted list made his capture a priority for this agency.”
In 2018, Hiers was captured in Shanghai after authorities learned he was allegedly living under the assumed name “David Williams.”
WCSC said they received a Facebook message that month referencing an article in which a woman in China said she recognized her former English teacher from the Marshals’ wanted list.
The Marshals Service said it had an active federal warrant for Hiers for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Deputy U.S. Marshals traveled to Shanghai, China, this week, took custody of Hiers and returned him to the United States.
“His [Hiers] return to South Carolina is both significant and rewarding, and we thank our domestic and international partners for their tireless persistence in bringing this fugitive to justice,” Serralta said.
Nicholas Collura, the principal deputy assistant secretary for Diplomatic Security and director of the Diplomatic Security Service, said the agency worked alongside the Marshals Service and Chinese law enforcement to ensure Hiers “finally answers for his crimes.”
“Our special agents overseas work tirelessly every day, tracking fugitives who believe distance and time will protect them,” Collura said. “Their dedication, alongside our partners, proves that no fugitive is beyond the reach of American justice.”
Hiers’ case was featured over the years on “America’s Most Wanted” and “The Hunt with John Walsh,” officials said.
The Marshals Service credited several agencies for helping in the investigation and coordinated removal of Hiers, including the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI.
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