Man accused of murdering woman with baby in lap granted bond in Horry County case
The man who allegedly killed a mother while she held her child will have the chance to leave jail as he awaits trial after a judge granted him bond.
“They found not only Mrs. Lewis shot dead in the front seat, but her 1-year-old child in her lap,” Senior Assistant Solicitor Mary-Ellen Walter said at a bond hearing this week.
Despite the grim detail, Horry County Circuit Court Judge Steven John said Jakeem Bryant has not been convicted of the crime. He granted him a $100,000 bond, but said Bryant must live with an uncle in North Carolina. Bryant also will have to abide by a 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.
A magistrate judge denied issuing Bryant bond at a previous hearing.
Bryant faces charges of murder and using a weapon during the commission of a violent crime for allegedly killing Latosha Nicole Lewis, 31, in August.
Walter said Lewis was shot multiple times while in a vehicle at the intersection of Carolina Road and Church Road near Green Sea.
Bryant was arrested in North Carolina less than a day after the killing when police went to a domestic incident between him and another woman. Walter said police described that victim’s wounds as significant, but she declined to cooperate with authorities.
In 2014, Bryant was convicted in North Carolina of assault with a deadly weapon. Defense attorney Jonathan Hiller noted that was a misdemeanor charge.
Hiller asked during Wednesday’s hearing for a reasonable bond hearing of $50,000.
The victim’s father, Donnil Lewis, said he doesn’t believe that Bryant acted alone. He added that his daughter is a “scrapper” and an individual man couldn’t beat his daughter.
“I want to know who it was,” Donnil Lewis said.
The year since Latosha died has been difficult for her family. “There isn’t a night go by, or a day that go by that I don’t think about my daughter,” he said.
Latosha had six children and “loved life, she was vibrant, she was a sweet daughter,” Donnil Lewis said.
Her death wasn’t the first time the family has dealt with tragedy. Another of Donnil’s children, Dion Lewis, was murdered in North Carolina several years ago. He said he remembers that phone call and police knocking on his door saying they were investigating Latosha’s death as a homicide.
“When [the cop] said that I just went numb, … I couldn’t answer any questions,” Donnil Lewis said.
When describing Latosha, Donnil Lewis’ voice trailed off a couple of times as he looked at the ground or clapped his wallet in his hands. He told of a time when Latosha was young and yelled for help when she was surrounded by pit bulls. Donnil heard the cries and came out to help — something he could not do in August.
“I should have been there,” Donnil Lewis said. “Before she leaves I always say ‘look at where you going.’”
“‘Dad, I’m grown,’” Donnil recalled her saying.
“OK and your point is?” Donnil would usually say back, not caring for her age. “Where you going? You never know what might happen.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Man accused of murdering woman with baby in lap granted bond in Horry County case."