Man arrested in cold case double murder extradited to Columbia

The man arrested in March in connection with a 2011 double murder case has been extradited to South Carolina to face charges in two counts of murder.

Kenneth Canzater, Jr., 33, of Perris, Calif., is accused of shooting and killing 25-year-old Candra Alston and stabbing her 3-year-old daughter Malaysia Boykin in their Brook Pines apartment in January 2011.

Canzater, who was arrested in Corona, Calif., was brought to Columbia Monday by the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

Alston and Malaysia were found dead in Alston’s home at Brook Pines Apartments off Broad River Road on Jan. 9, 2011, in what Chief Skip Holbrook called “a truly horrific crime scene.” Holbrook said Alston was shot in the head, and Malaysia had been stabbed multiple times. Phone records indicated the crime occurred two days before the bodies were discovered.

Police have described Canzater as an acquaintance of Alston and said he admitted to knowing and spending time with Alston and her daughter. Officials have declined to comment on a possible motive for the killings.

During a news conference about the arrest, Alston family spokesperson Sharon Williams said, “Thank you God. Thank you to law enforcement officers about being vigilant for never giving up for this family because we knew that God would come to vindicate for this family.”

At the crime scene 6 years ago, investigators photographed a partial bloody palm print – the primary piece of evidence in the case. At that time, the print was determined to be inconclusive for testing.

In February of this year, because of advancements in technology, SLED was able to retest the print which came back as a positive match to Canzater.

“Six years may be too late for us, but it’s right on time according to God,” Williams said.

Canzater is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.