1 charged in connection to death of Maurice Isaac; Sheriff Dennis says more arrests to come

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has arrested one man in connection to the death of 20-year-old Maurice Isaac, and Sheriff Anthony Dennis says he expects more to be charged.

Equante Syquell Bell, 22, of Sumter, was taken into custody on Saturday, Aug. 8, and charged with the murder of Isaac, according to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for the sheriff’s office. 

The investigation is ongoing, and Dennis added he expects more suspects to be charged in connection to Isaac’s death. 

According to earlier reporting, Isaac was identified on Saturday, Aug. 1, after deputies responded to a 911 call reporting what appeared to be a burned body near the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Industrial Road.

Isaac’s body was found face down about 100 yards off the roadway. 

Using surveillance footage from that area to establish a timeline, investigators think Isaac was killed elsewhere in the early morning hours – between 3 and 5 a.m. – before his body was brought to the woods to be set on fire. An autopsy performed on Wednesday, Aug. 5, confirmed Isaac died from a gunshot wound to the head. 

During a news conference on Aug. 6, Dennis confirmed the killing appeared to be gang-related, though he declined to identify the gang or discuss evidence that supported that conclusion given the ongoing investigation. 

The sheriff’s office is still seeking the public’s help. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (803) 436-2000 or submit tips to www.p3tips.com. Tipsters may remain anonymous and earn a reward.