Man’s body found in shallow grave, now acquaintance is arrested, Columbia police say

Four months to the day after a death, a 26-year-old Columbia man was arrested, officials said.

Devante Antonio Dinkins was charged with the unauthorized removal of a dead body in connection with the 2022 death of a 24-year-old man who was his acquaintance, according to the Columbia Police Department.

On Sept. 16, 2022, Dinkins and the man were at a Kimpton Drive home when the victim suffered a medical event and died, police said Wednesday in a news release. Dinkins’ residence is listed on Kimpton Drive, Richland County court records show.

Dinkins did not call police or 911, according to the release. Instead, he removed the 24-year-old man’s body from the home and buried him in a shallow grave in the backyard, police said.

The body was discovered after a witness saw the soil was disturbed in the backyard, noticed suspicious activity, and called police, according to the release.

Dinkins was arrested on Monday, according to court records.

He was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and was released Tuesday after a judge issued a $10,000 surety bond, officials said.

Dinkins is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 24, judicial records show.

If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, Dinkins faces a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the man who died, or released his cause of death. Police said the coroner’s office assisted in the investigation.

This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 7:58 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription