English
Français
Español
FLORENCE, S.C. (WMBF) – A federal judge will announce the verdict Wednesday morning in the kidnapping and murder case of a Horry County grandmother.
After three days of testimonies, a judge received Dominique Brand’s case. He’s charged in the kidnapping and shooting death of Mary Ann Elvington.
Authorities said that Brand kidnapped Elvington from her home in Nichols in March 2021, forced her to drive him to North Carolina and then back to South Carolina. They said he ended up shooting and killing her in Marion County behind an abandoned grocery store.
Brand waived his right to a jury trial and instead opted for a bench trial, which is when a judge decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
During the course of the trial, the prosecution called law enforcement officers who worked the case to the stand along with forensics experts.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Prosecution: Suspect broke into 80-year-old Horry County woman’s home before kidnapping, ate frozen pizza
- Testimony continues in trial of man accused of kidnapping, killing 80-year-old Horry County woman
Prosecutors believe that Brand stole a church van and then abandoned it near Elvington’s home. They said he camped out in an area near Elvington’s home before breaking into it.
They said he was at Elvington’s home long enough to drink a bottle of water and cook a frozen pizza before kidnapping her.
The judge also heard a phone call between Mary Ann Elvington, her son Harold and an OnStar operator during the kidnapping.
During the phone call, Mary Ann Elvington was heard saying many times she didn’t know where she was and at one point said, “I think I’m in North Carolina, I think I passed the South Carolina state line.” Also in the phone call, the sound of doors being opened and then shut could be heard.
The forensic pathologist who performed the 80-year-old’s autopsy also testified that she died from a single shot to the head.
The defense argued that there aren’t any witnesses that can determine if it was Brand who committed the crimes.
WMBF News will bring you the verdict as soon as it’s read.
Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.
Read the full article here
