Columbia police charge two in covering for shooter, need help finding him
Columbia Police Department charged two women with covering for a man wanted in a fatal shooting, according to investigators.
On Friday, Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook said in a statement his officers arrested 26-year-old Keyona McLemore and charged her with concealing information about a felony and obstructing justice. They also arrested 23-year-old Neijah Thomas and charged her with accessory after a murder.
McLemore and Thomas helped conceal 23-year-old Willie Manley Bowman, Jr after he killed someone, police said.
On July 20, a person called police after finding a man shot in a vehicle outside an apartment at 901 Colleton St. in north Columbia, the department said. That’s the location of Gable Oaks Apartments off North Main Street.
The man was shot in the upper body and didn’t survived. The Richland County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 23-year-old Delvin Weems. Investigators discovered that Bowman shot Weems during an attempted robbery, police said.
After the shooting, Bowman drove to a home where Thomas was and talked to her about the crime, according to the department. Thomas gave Bowman new clothes and helped him change his hair to disguise his appearance.
McLemore also knew about the shooting, police said. She withheld information and lied to investigators when questioned about the incident.
Police jailed Thomas and McLemore at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where a judge let them out on bond, court records show.
When arrested, police will charge Bowman with murder and two gun offenses.
In 2017, Bowman pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a gun, court records show.
Chief Holbrook asked that anybody with information about Bowman or the shooting called 888-274-6372 or visit www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab.
The State attempted to contact lawyers for McLemore and Thomas, but their legal representation was not yet publicly listed. This story will be updated if more information is ascertained.
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This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 2:59 PM.