Suspected suicide was actually murder and three are charged, SC sheriff says

Three people have been charged with murder 2 months after a man’s body was discovered inside his South Carolina home in what was initially reported to law enforcement as a suspected suicide, according to the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office.

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Columbia residents Tykeem Davon Bradley, 27, and J’Niyah Nashalya Cooper, 24, along with 27-year-old Manning resident Jordan Akeem Brock each were charged with murder and conspiracy and first-degree burglary, the sheriff’s office said Tuesday in a news release.

Bradley and Brock also were charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the release.

The charges stem from the June 13 shooting death of 56-year-old Manning resident Homero Zunan Gonzalez, whose body was found in his Clarendon County home, the sheriff’s office said.

At about 11:45 p.m. June 13, deputies responded to a call about what was believed to be a suicide at a Tara Lane home, according to the release. That’s close to the Lake Marion shoreline.

At the home deputies located Gonzalez’s body, and it was determined the man who had been shot in the upper body had injuries that did not appear to be self-inflicted, the sheriff’s office said.

Information about who reported the death to law enforcement, and why it was initially believed to be a suicide, was not available.

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No other injuries were reported in what the sheriff’s office called an isolated incident.

Information about a motive for the shooting, and if the suspects knew Gonzalez prior to the shooting, was not available.

Despite the arrests, Gonzalez’s death continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office, which is asking the public for information. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-435-4414, or to leave a tip at 803-433-8477.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, other law enforcement agencies assisted the investigation, including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Sumter Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Columbia Field Office.