Man was beaten to death and somebody he knew is charged with murder, Columbia police say
Weeks after a man was found beaten to death, an acquaintance of his was arrested, the Columbia Police Department said Wednesday.
Zion Kelly, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with murder, police said in a news release.
Kelly’s charge stems from the death of a 31-year-old man earlier this month, according to the release.
At about 2:30 a.m. on June 8, officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of Byrnes Drive, police said. That’s near Forest Acres, between Two Notch Road and Forest Drive.
At the scene, officers found the 31-year-old’s body in the backyard of a home, according to the release. The man suffered severe blunt force trauma to his head and face and died at the scene, police said.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the victim.
No other injuries were reported.
Police said the victim and Kelly were acquaintances, but further information about their relationship was not available.
There was no other word about how police connected Kelly to the death. A motive for the death remains under investigation, police said.
Kelly is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, and no bond has been set, jail records show.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 2:31 PM.
