Suspect in Sumter mother’s death says he also killed missing 5-year-old girl

The search for a 5-year-old girl whose mother was found slain in her Sumter apartment Monday night has shifted to a recovery effort now that officers think she was killed with her mother by an acquaintance.

Based on information provided Monday by the suspect charged with murder in connection to the death of 29-year-old Sharee Bradley, who was found inside her residence at Lantana Apartments by a family member, Sumter Police Department officers, area law enforcement agencies and other resources searched throughout the night into Tuesday morning. They will continue to search “until the body of Nevaeh Lashy Adams is located,” according to a news release by the department.

“Finding this little girl is first and foremost, and we have and will continue to use every resource available to make that happen,” Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark said in the release. “Our prayers are with the family, and we will continue to assist them throughout this tragic ordeal.”

The suspect, Daunte Maurice Johnson, 28, also known as Daunte Johnson, who is considered transient, was seen fleeing the location off Carolina Avenue where Bradley’s body was found Monday just after 6 p.m.. He was later located by police at a residence in a nearby neighborhood and taken into custody.

During the course of an interview with police, Johnson said he killed Bradley, with whom he was acquainted, and her daughter. He also provided information that could help police locate her, according to Tonyia McGirt, public information officer for the police department.

A preliminary investigation by the Sumter County Coroner's Office determined Bradley had been dead for several hours before she was found. Based on information gathered by investigators at the police department, they think Adams was killed during the same timeframe as her mother.

Officers are also working to learn more about the suspect. He has a criminal record in other states and is a suspect in a Missouri homicide, according to the police department.

Johnson is being held in the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center on a murder charge. A first appearance hearing is pending.

The S.C. Law Enforcement Division was notified about the girl being missing, but because there was no abduction and due to other factors, the case did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert.

The girl’s name is spelled correctly in this story. It was provided to media incorrect previously.