Two men arrested in slaying of Florence teen
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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.
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Reader Reactions
The bottom line is this.It’s going to take everyone to get involved before things can change.It is not the responsibility of a single person or organization but the community as a whole.If these criminals KNOW that Florence does not welcome them or their kind,they will move on.I also believe stiffer penalties make be a deterrent as well.It ought to be like this…....an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!! That would be enonugh,in my opinion,to sway anyone from committing such an attrocity.If you kill someone,you’re gonna die too, regardless of your age…..no more no less!If a person robs someone they’re gonna lose their freedom for the rest of their life…....no more no less.You see my point? The law needs to change as far as the penalties are concerned.Most of the reason a person commits a crime to begin with is simply because they don’t care about the law since it ain’t that bad to start with.If we give them a reason to care about it,they will think twice,plain and simple.If a Momma or Daddy knows that by their son or daughter killing someone may put them at risk for losing their childs life,they will be more likely to pay closere attention to what their child is doing rather than take that risk.If a chikd knows he could die if he gets caught killing someone,hes gonna think about it before he does it.A person of any age should NOT get away with killing just because they are 14.They didn’t stop themselves and say I shouldn’t be killing no 70 year old defenseless preson who ain’t done nothing to me.They went ahead and did it because they KNOW they won’t be judged so harshly in this life!We,both as a community and as law enforcement,need to make these fools think before they act.THEN things will change.If they stay the same,so will the criminals.This is just my opinion…....look at it for what you think it’s worth.
Paratender: i hate to tell you that a road didnt bring me to florence. I was born and raised here and I don’t understand why you people are getting so worked up over these comments. They are personal opinions. Why should it matter to you what i say or someone else says. They’re opinions and if your opinion is different than mine so be it, but just because mine doesn’t match yours you should leave it be.
I agree that Law enforcement is doing all that they can in these murders and that WE have got to help them and our neighbors by being INVOLVED and calling if you see something that doesn’t look right. Someone said they should have found the body of Jeremiah Jenkins faster—do you know how many abandoned buildings there are and how would they know which one to start with. You can bet that someone saw something out of place around the building—DID THEY REPORT IT?? He would have been found sooner if someone had. Thank God for the anonymous tip that helped to locate him. Someone had to see something strange when a woman wrapped in a sheet is carried from her home, placed in a car or however she was transported and then placed in a ditch. DID THEY REPORT IT?? The kid thrown in the woods—didn’t someone see something. That area is always busy, and I agree why hasn’t there been more on this case.
With the recent murders I think it’s time for all of us to be there for our neighbors and don’t worry about someone thinking you are nosy—call in any strange activity. You know your area and if something or someone looks out of place you know it, don’t wait on a murder to take place before getting involved. I’m sure the police would rather take 10 minutes to investigate a broken window or open door on than have to investigate a murder or robbery.
They have numbers you can call and report information without anyone knowing who you are, you don’t have to identify yourself to be involved. We have got to start being the eyes and ears for our neighbors and pay attention and REPORT anything out of the ordinary.
randy & mel—-
if you don’t like the city and the way things are…same road that brought you in can take you some place else.
I am so happy that others agree that FPD/FCSO is doing a great job with recent circumstances. And in regards to not finding the body sooner, I personally have not seen ANY information saying that the body had been in that location for a certain amount of time. The body could have very well been moved, but again I could be wrong. An agency just can’t drop all of the other cases and/or responsibilities for one case and during the time the teen went missing Ms.Hayes’s body had been found.
Give them (FPD) credit they have done a wonderful job in finding suspects for the three cases we have had.
Is Ruby’s yard really an issue when we have people being murdered btw? The hispanic male didn’t die from conditions of her yard, his body was just left there, the deed was already done by the time she came into play.
Wake up people in the City and County of Florence! How do you expect law enforcement personnel to know about every crime? I have heard all of the bashing against the law enforcement in this area - but I ask - what have you done to prevent crime? Do you really try to help the law enforcement - or are you just sitting back and criticizing law enforcement? These people cannot work miracles! You need to think about this. This teen lost his life because of some reason. It is sad and my condolences go out to his family! But instead of criticizing law enforcement - why not get involved and see that this crime does not happen again! If you are not willing to help law enforcement - then stop your complaining about them!
I think that someone could’ve found the 17 year old’s body sooner if people were actually looking as much as they could, come on it took them almost 3 weeks to find it and the only reason they found is because of an anonymous tip. HELLO these crimes are evidentally NOT the law enforcements top priorities. Thats all i have to say if you dont like it, who really cares.
re my last: If you people responding to my message insist that the police department always does its job then youre just as corrupt as the so called servers and protectors you support. no one is above the law and for your information people, read the response again! I INCLUDED myself! Grow up people!
For those actually reading the articles & keeping track, there have been 3 murders in the City, and one deceased person found in the County on Ruby’s shabby corner of the Peaceful Valley. There has never been any statement whatsoever that this young man was murdered. Sometimes, people die for reasons other than violent ones, and sometimes they are young. Anyone who knows what contributed to his untimely demise isn’t saying:
http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/authorities_identify_body_found_at_overgrown_lot/13068/
Tell the Sheriff you’d like to know more, and maybe he’ll release more information about the case. Until then, it is simply a death for undisclosed causes.
Now, back to keeping track. 3 murders in the city in just over a week, and six people arrested in the same amount of time. I’d say our cops are earning their pay. Give them a week, and see if they haven’t solved this latest one, too.
I’d also suggest people read the articles more closely, as it clearly states the Ramada Inn information was a decption given by someone who later turned out to be involved.
And Ruby still needs to clean up her $#!+. Free country or not, she lives in a society of laws, which aren’t enforced on her for whatever reason. What she’s really doing by living this way is flipping the rest of us off with her junkyard. They are probably gonna find her deceased body among the chicken crap one day when she finally keels over.
the police here are trying to do their jobs. maybe if more parents actually cared where they were what they are doing and who they are with then maybe they wouldnt be out killing innocent people.even those these two are older then questions rise is to how they were raised.. the could have come from great backgrounds with caring parents. and someone from the streets taught them this. sometimes the parents fault sometmes not
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