Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer, 30, and Destiny Shay Dionne, 24, have been arrested and charged with homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child in connection with the death of six-year-old Isaiah Dionne, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The investigation began in September when Oconee County deputies responded to a residence on Forest Acres Circle in Walhalla, approximately 45 miles west of Greenville. There, authorities found Isaiah deceased inside the home. Reports indicate that the child appeared severely underweight and malnourished, weighing just 21 pounds.
An arrest warrant detailed that Isaiah’s ribs were “easily seen” and his eyes appeared “deeply set in his skull,” suggesting prolonged neglect and starvation.
Latimer and Dionne are currently being held without bond at the Oconee County Jail. Latimer, a former trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, was terminated from his position following his arrest.
At Dionne’s bond hearing, prosecutors revealed disturbing new details. Tenth Circuit Solicitor Micah Black cited first responders’ accounts, noting that Isaiah was forced to sleep on a blanket rather than a bed, and the window curtains in his room had been stapled shut. Investigators also believe the child was locked in a closet and at times forced to drink from a toilet.
According to WHNS, Isaiah had lived with his maternal grandmother for the first two years of his life. However, after moving in with his mother and Latimer, he was reportedly treated differently from his younger sibling, who appeared to be healthy. Authorities believe Isaiah had not received any medical care during the two years leading up to his death.
Bond was denied for Dionne, and both suspects remain in custody. If convicted, they face a minimum sentence of 20 years and could receive up to life in prison.
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