Warrants: Sumter double murder suspect used large folding knife to kill mother, missing daughter

SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Warrants released by the Sumter Police Department detail the horrific crime scene investigators found at the Lantana Apartments on August 5, when they discovered Sharee Bradley, 29, dead and her 5-year-old daughter, Nevaeh Adams, missing.

According to four warrants filed against Daunte Johnson, 28, he is charged with two counts of murder, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Investigators found the body of Bradley inside her apartment around 6 p.m. on August 5, when her son arrived home. According to the warrant, Bradley’s body was discovered “…in the apartment and wrapped up in a large rug with apparent compromise to the integrity of her face and skull.”

The Sumter County Coroner said the cause of Bradley’s death was blunt and sharp force trauma injuries to the head and neck. The warrant also said a knife was used to kill Bradley.

Sumter Police said Johnson was seen fleeing the apartment complex shortly after police responded to the 911 call. He was later found at a nearby home and taken into custody, where investigators said he confessed to killing Bradley and her daughter Nevaeh.

The warrant charging Johnson with Adams’ death said he “…ultimately confessed to having stabbed and killed both the victim and her mother and having disposed of the victim’s body in a trash dumpster.”

The warrant also said blood evidence was collected at the scene and analyzed by SLED and was found to belong to Adams and her mother, corroborating the defendant’s confession.

Johnson is also accused of stealing a 2007 Toyota Camry belonging to Aaliyah Stanley. Investigators allege the vehicle was stolen after Johnson shot and killed Stanley in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 23, 2019.

On August 6, 2019, the vehicle was found at 122 Maney Street in Sumter. The warrant said police learned that the defendant was trying to sell the car. Police said Johnson admitted to stealing the vehicle, traveling to Sumter, and attempting to sell the car.

The final warrant alleges Johnson confessed to using a large folding knife to kill both Bradley and Adams, corroborating the autopsy completed on Bradley.

Johnson currently remains in the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center without bond.

Investigators continue to search for Adams’ body.

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