20-year-old charged with murder after arrest in Richland County, sheriff’s office says
Nearly a month after a body was found off an area road, a man was charged with murder after he was arrested Monday morning, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deontae Jackson, 20, is facing a murder charge regarding the death of Montrell Epps, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Deputy Adrienne Sarvis said in a news release.
Jackson was in Richland County when he was arrested, according to the release.
Information on where he was in Richland County, or if that is where he lives, was not available.
Epps’ body was found off of McCrays Mill Road on the morning of New Year’s Day, the sheriff’s office said. That is in the area near Sumter High School.
The 23-year-old’s body was discovered at about 4:30 a.m., after the sheriff’s office said it was conducting a property check after seeing Epps’ car parked “in the area.”
An autopsy was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Sarvis said. No cause of death has been made public.
On Jan. 23, the sheriff’s office announced it was looking for Jackson, who it considered armed and dangerous.
Information on how Jackson was located was not available.
Jackson is being held at the Lee Regional Detention Center on a murder charge, jail records show. No bond has been set, according to jail records.
In 2019, Jackson was convicted on several charges in Sumter County, court records show. He was recommended for shock incarceration after pleading guilty to failure to stop for blue lights, multiple counts of forgery, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
He was sentenced to 30 days in jail in 2018 after being convicted on a drug charge, according to court records.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published January 27, 2020 at 10:06 AM.
