Two men arrested in slaying of Florence teen
Alternative content
Jenkins family
Jenkins family
Ben Greene/WBTW
101 East Marlboro Street.
The second of three people found slain in Florence in the past two weeks has been positively identified as a Florence teen reported missing a month ago.
The body of 17-year-old Jeremiah Jenkins was discovered Aug. 30 in a vacant building on South Irby and Cedar streets. His identity was confirmed Friday afternoon after a DNA analysis by the State Law Enforcement Division, Florence Police Chief Anson Shells said.
Two Florence men, 20-year-old Donovan Alexis Roman of 2131 Damon Drive and 18-year-old Zachary Navarre Morgan of 3694 W. Point Drive, were arrested and charged with murder in connection with Jenkins’ death late Friday afternoon, Shells said.
More arrests in the crime are possible, the chief said.
An autopsy showed Jenkins had been stabbed and beaten about the head. His body had been in the vacant building for three weeks, Shells said.
Jenkins was reported missing Aug. 6.
Shells said one of the people involved in the crime told police Jenkins was last seen getting into burgundy vehicle with a S.C. license plate at the Ramada Inn at Interstate 95 and U.S. 76. In reality, Jenkins had been taken from his residence straight to the building where he body later was found.
Shells said it wasn’t difficult to conduct the homicide investigation without knowing for certain the identity of the victim in this case.
“The point is that we did have a body. We are going to treat (the person’s death) as a homicide ... until we can prove something different,” he said.
Investigators had circumstantial evidence that led them to believe the victim in this case was Jenkins, Shells said.
Meanwhile, police are investigating their third homicide in a month after a body was discovered in a grassy area just off of North Dargan Street on Friday morning, Florence Police Maj. Carlos Raines said.
Someone walking past the scene discovered the body of 28-year-old Corey Lee Byrd near the 100 block of Marlboro Street about 5:15 a.m., Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews said.
It appears Byrd had been shot, and his death is being investigated as homicide, Matthews said.
People in the neighborhood reported hearing shots fired shortly before Byrd’s body was found, he said.
Police said they haven’t named any suspects and are questioning neighbors and people who may have known the victim.
The body will be sent to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for an autopsy today, Matthews said.
Byrd is the third person found slain in Florence in just over a week.
On Aug. 27, Florence resident Willie Mae Hayes, 69, was found dead on Mallory Street after she was reported missing by her family two days earlier.
Four suspects, including two 14-year-old boys, were arrested and charged in connection with Hayes’ death.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
My goodness - so many have the resolution to the problem but what are we doing about it? Me included! To be honest I do not even know where to begin. And to arrest the parents when the parents cant even disapline their child anymore is not the answer. The state came in to protect children and has done a good job in most cases that needed it but then there came to abusers. I worked as a GAL for SC and I was involved in a case with a child of less than 10 yrs. The grandmother ended up with this child that would leave the home in the middle of the night and steal cars etc. The grandmother was exhausted and made a trip to hardware store. A month later she had a child that listened and was becoming respectful. When the case worker asked her how she worked this miracle she pulled the chain from under the bed that kept the child at home. Grandma was arrested for child abuse, child from foster home to foster home, (btw he is grown now and in prison). I resigned! The child had access to a bathroom at night and a snack left for him. Did we protect this child or destroy him? No one can control a determined person with out some force. I learned this from this 9 yr old child. Isnt this what we are doing with jail - only difference is the age! Grandmother I felt was doing the only thing she could because there were no other resources to help here. What is the resolution to the problem? Where do we begin w/o going to jail when we chain the child to his bed to protect him and others.
May GOD be with all the families that is dealing with the loss of there love ones. The person that wrote the comment on the “beat the streets” organization is so right. Because without the community sticking together, these crimes will continue to happen. We all want to blame someone, but what is that going to prove. We all say blame the parents, but most parents are in there childs life. We as parents can only do what we can. You can’t just tie your child up and lock down. We do try to raise them the right way,but as times go by, things aren’t the way it use to be. Things are so violent now. These boys really need t be helped,not saying they don’t need the proper punishment,but they really need help. I went to school with Corey and i really feel that noone should have there life taken away from them. THE ONLY PERSON TO TAKE LIFE IS GOD! I really feel sorry for these families, PEOPLE IT IS TIME TO PULL TOGETHER!!!! We have to stand up! MAY WE ALL PULL TOGETHER AND PRAY!
It is sad how I sit and read the comments of how we are blaming the police department and others for not stepping up or we feel they are not doing their jobs. But my question is what are you people that are bashing have come up with to at least try to prevent any thing like this from happening. For example…..curfews for teens, if violate curfew take them to juvenile detention. If it constantly happens then contact parents, after parents have been contacted, then if teen continuously violate curfew then the parents get arrested. I guarantee that will make the parents step up and they will have their teen put in juvenile detention are send them to job corps. But we got to work together have town meeting how to handle these situations in the future instead of saying whose not doing what. As my pastor says when you point one finger they are three pointing back at you. They are also other issues that need to be handle as well, but first and foremost we start with eliminating all these killings. Think about it drug dealers distribute, people do what ever they can to make these drug dealers rich, even it it means robbing and killing. So I say we have to get to the source of the problem to make it better for every one. I am a single parent who has a son 16 years of age who is a minister and I thank God daily he did not end up in the streets.Some parents need to endure for their children mistakes for them to step up and put and end to their kids wrong doings. To all the bashers come together to make Florence a safer placeand To God we give the Glory.
i hope these boys recieve the death penality they certainly deserve no less they dont need life in prison to play basketball and watch tv they need to get what they gave
These are the last days.The bible is fulfilling every minute,but no one is really taking time to see the signs.Truly,my heart goes out to The Jenkins Family.You will always be in my prayers.My heart is with the suspects family as well.Alot of times we raise our kids,talk to them,pray with them and they still some how do the opposite.If it’s ever a time to pray,now is the time.No time for pointing fingers!As for the suspects,yes,they should be punish.Only GOD knows the future,let’s pray that GOD work through the judge for justice.
personally, i think the police are doing a good job with solving the murder crimes.I lived in the same neighborhood as jeremiah and i’m heart broken about his death. Sure, it took entirely too long for the police to find him(body),but i don’t blame them.I blame our society!We need to all come together and clean up our town.Get these hoodlums the h### out!If we want to be able to walk down the street without any worries, then we need to take back our streets. Why are we letting the drug dealers and gang bangers run things!? Yes, there are SOME parents to blame.Some of them support their children selling drugs,they’re only seeing $ signs.Maybe we need to lock up the parents who are allowing the children to sell drugs while still in the parent’s custody. We have to start somewhere.Maybe i sound a little too dramatic,but that’s how i feel right now.People,we honestly need to come together and organize some sort of “beat the streets organization”.I’m not afraid to stand up for what’s right.May god be with us all in this time of need.Rebuke the devil and pray.
“Is Ruby’s yard really an issue when we have people being murdered btw? “
Yes.
That corner is an overgrown lot with several dilapidated buildings & junk vehicles. It is precisely what is at issue here, since we are discussing how our city is being devoured by crime. Just the kind of place one might expect to find a dead body, murdered or otherwise. Florence is full of properties like this, and city & county codes enforcement need to get them cleaned up. It’s their job, not that of the men & women trying to solve murders for us. So, it can be done without diminishing the effort to fight the violent crimes.
I think it is time for the residents of Florence to stand up and take action. Maybe the law enforcement made mistakes. Since you don’t know everything law enforencement procedures and actions taken, don’t judge. We should be focusing on prevention. The last couple murders occur, teenagers were invovle. Parents has to teach children right from wrong. They need to be more invovle in their kids lives. Make sure your kids are going to school and their friends. Sometimes, kids get on the wrong path no matter what the parents do. The community must work together to prevent crime and help officers solve crimes. I know that there are crimes committed and people witnesses. These crimes must be reported. When teenagers get arrested for the first time, more must be done to keep them from getting arrested again. Judges has to find a way to people from repeating crimes. When repeat offenders come back to the court, there needs to be hard time give. The citizens have to make sure law enforcement, judges, and themselves are doing everything to prevent crime, solve crimes, and justified punishment. I think one of the biggest problem the community has to address is the drugs crimes. When people get invovle with drugs, it leads to other action. The dealers are doing everything and anything to get their money, while the people who are addicted are doing whatever they can to get money to feed their habit,
I hope the people responsible for the young man’s death, get the death penalty. They need to know if you do a crime you will be punished to the fullest extent. This has got to STOP. Parents need to be parents and not friends. We need to instil on our kids how important Education and God are, the world is going to HELL. We need to pray more and no where our children are at all the time. It may seem annoying but you have to do it, you don’t want the streets, gangs or the law to take your kids. We need to be involved with their life’s, know who their friends are,ask questions. The world is not like it was 15-20 years ago, parents did not have to worry a whole lot. Stop the violence, we are tearing ourselves and communites down people.
Listen, its not Law Enforcement fault for these senseless crimes. We need to come together as a community & find a solution to stop the violence! Education & Prayer are the main tools we can use to fight this epidemic that is happening in our community! Young people need to realize that they are destroying themselves. Kill someone and what type of life they expext to live afterwards? I think Law Enforcement uses all the resources they have. But the greatest resource is the community! LAW ENFORCEMENT + COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT = SUCCESS!!!
Advertisement