Filyaw case will be one to watch

Jury selection is now underway in Beaufort in the trial of Vinson Filyaw.

Filyaw is accused of dressing up as a police officer in order to kidnap a 14-year-old girl, who he is also accused of raping in an underground bunker in Kershaw County. Investigators say the girl waited until Filyaw fell asleep, and then used his cell phone to text message her mother - providing a vague description of where she was being held captive. Investigators were able to track the messages using cell phone towers to narrow down the search area, and rescue the girl.

Filyaw's case is somewhat similar to that of Kenneth Hinson, the Darlington County man who was acquitted earlier this year on charges that he kidnapped and raped two teenage girls, and locked them in an underground dungeon he built near his home. A jury let Hinson off the hook, but he still faces federal weapons charges stemming from the case. Those charges could mean a lengthy prison sentence for Hinson if he is convicted.

The Filyaw case was moved to Beaufort after the presiding judge ruled pre-trial publicity made it impossible for both sides to pick an impartial jury.

We are working with our fellow-CBS affiliate, WLTX, to cover the trial as it unfolds.

It's a case that will be interesting to watch.

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