Woman mourns fianc killed in Mexico kidnapping: 'He's a superhero in my book'

LAKE CITY, S.C. (WPDE) — The fiancée of Shaeed Woodard said he would have celebrated his 34th birthday on Thursday.

Woodard drove with his cousin, Latavia Washington McGee, and their friends Eric Williams and Zindell Brown, to Mexico to take McGee there for cosmetic surgery.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said they were kidnapped after gunmen opened fire on their car Sunday in the northern Mexico border city, Matamoros.

A video shared on social media showed them being loaded into the back of a pickup truck by the gunmen.

Latonya Williams said her life just won't be the same without her fiancé.

Right now, I just want tomorrow to go by and just go to Friday," Williams said during an interview on Wednesday. "This like is going to be his first birthday without him. The first Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Christmas. It's like everything that we went through for eight years is just memories. They shouldn't have done this to them because they didn't deserve this."

She said Woodard and Washington McGee were more like sister and brother than cousins. Williams said he always showed her support.

He wanted to go support her," Williams said. "Anything that his sister wants to do. He would support her. He was one of her biggest supporters. Like, Shaeed has a heart of gold. He would give you the shirt off his back. He would give you his last dollar. He was a good person. And his memory is going to live on. He's a superhero in my book."

Another woman, LaVenia Jones, said she and her husband were close friends with Woodard. She said they'll miss him dearly.

Jones said he worked for their company Superior Contracting out of Marion County.

Shaeed has worked for us for almost going into four years. Very dedicated. Genuine heart. Very honest. Hard-working. If you met him today, you would think he was a part of your family. Very well manner. Yes ma'am. No ma'am. He actually told me and my husband that we were like his parents because he didn't have a mom," said Jones.

She also said he was a model employee.

I never had a problem with him missing work. He was always there. He has been my best employee," Jones said.

Jones said when they found out Woodard didn't make it, it hit them hard.

"It broke our hearts last night and the night before. My husband and I," Jones said. "Neither one got any sleep. It's really affected us. Not just losing him as an employee, but as a person. We loved him as a person."

She added she and her husband are thinking and praying for Woodard's fiancé and their family.

Williams said she wants justice for all of those involved in the kidnapping and murders.

"For the people that (did) this -- I want justice for all four of them because this didn't have to happen," she said.

Matamoros is home to warring factions of the Gulf drug cartel.

The shootouts in Matamoros were so bad the U.S. Consulate issued an alert about the danger last Friday.

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