Columbia man arrested in killing of his mother and teenage daughter
A Columbia man has been arrested and charged with killing his 83-year-old mother and 18-year-old daughter Thursday evening.
Richland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a “domestic situation involving a weapon” at the 100 block of Haverford Drive, south of Columbia International University, around 5 p.m. Thursday.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Rafael Brown, 44, exited the front door of a house with a knife in his hand. Deputies instructed Brown to drop the weapon and get on the ground, which he did before being handcuffed, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department police report.
When police entered the house, they found 83-year-old Jessie Brown and 18-year-old Shaneal Brown both dead. Both women had been stabbed. When firefighters and EMS arrived at the scene, both women were pronounced dead. The sheriff’s department arrested Brown at the scene Thursday and charged him in both deaths.
Brown was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he remained as of Friday morning.
Friday afternoon, Richland School District One Superintendent Craig Witherspoon released a statement, saying “For the third time in less than two weeks, the Richland One family is mourning the tragic loss of one of our students.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to (Shaneal’s) family and to the students and staff at Eau Claire. We ask that the entire community keep them in your thoughts and prayers,’ Witherspoon said.
De’Marion Corbett, 16, and Desmond Wilson, 17, were killed in shooting in April. Both were Richland 1 students.
Eau Claire Principal Neshunda Walters said Shaneal “was a well-known student who was well liked and involved in several service and extracurricular activities.”
“She assisted in the school counseling office and in the library, and she was a special assistant and mentee to our school social worker. She was also a member of our marching band’s dance team and a member of the Shamrockettes girls mentoring group. Our hearts are truly broken.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 10:07 AM.
