Murder charge for 20-year-old woman after body is found in burning home, cops say
A 20-year-old woman is behind bars on a murder charge weeks after a body was found in a house fire, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.
Jamira Davis was arrested Monday and charged with killing Brandon Burden on Jan. 22, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
The 42-year-old Burden had been shot several times before his body was discovered in the burning home, according to the release.
Davis is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, and no bond has been set, jail records show.
The Columbia Fire Department said firefighters responded to the early morning blaze in the 100 block of American Avenue on Jan. 22 and found the building was fully engulfed in flames. That’s near the intersection of Lower Richland Boulevard and Horrell Hill Road in the Hopkins area, about 3 miles from Lower Richland High School.
Crews worked from the outside of the home until conditions improved enough to make entry, when Burden’s body was found inside the property and the Richland County Coroner’s Office was notified, the fire department said.
Sheriff’s deputies were also called to the suspicious fire, according to the release.
The Richland County’s Fire Marshal said “preliminary findings indicate the fire was intentionally set inside a room using an undisclosed ignition source and combustible materials,” The State previously reported.
The coroner’s office has not released Burden’s cause of death.
Information on a motive for the shooting was not made available. Through Wednesday morning, Davis had not been charged with any crime related to causing the fire, records show.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 10:25 AM.
