By RICHARD WALKER, T&D Staff Writer | Posted: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 5:15 am |
A Branchville man has been arrested in connection with Friday's shooting death of woman said to be his girlfriend.
Police say charges against 26-year-old Yerel Leroy Williams of 123 Folk Street, have been upgraded to murder after the woman died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
Branchville police investigator Eric Baldwin said 24-year-old Darshai Brailsford was shot Friday night in the front parking lot of Turnkey Apartments just south of the town.
Brailsford was airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland In Columbia where she expired around 4:33 p.m. Saturday, Baldwin said.
Williams turned himself in to Dorchester County authorities shortly after the shooting, Baldwin said. He was then turned over to the Branchville police.
"At that time, he was charged with attempted murder," Baldwin said.
Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center Director Willie Bamberg confirmed Williams had been placed on suicide watch. Bamberg said it was a precautionary measure considering the charge against the Branchville man.
Baldwin alleges the pair -- who have a child in common -- were arguing in the apartment complex parking lot Friday night when Williams retrieved a handgun.
Williams was initially scheduled to appear before a judge on Monday. However, officials spent Monday amending the charge against the Branchville man to now reflect Brailsford's death.
Baldwin wanted to address what appeared to be a lack of police in Branchville on Saturday as news media attempted to obtain information on the shooting.
"We were with the family at Palmetto Richland and then we had to be present at the autopsy Saturday night," he said.
Contact the writer: rwalker@timesandemocrat.com or 803-533-5516.
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