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by JENN WOOD
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Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have filed additional charges against S.C. state trooper Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer and his wife – Destiny Shay Dionne, both of Walhalla, S.C.
Latimer, 30, and Shaw, 24, were initially arrested Friday (September 19, 2025) and charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child following an investigation requested by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). On Monday (September 22, 2025), SLED confirmed the couple is now facing homicide by child abuse charges.
Latimer – who was assigned to Troop 3 of the S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP) – and Dionne remain incarcerated at the Oconee County detention center. Their cases will be prosecuted by the office of S.C. tenth circuit solicitor Micah Black.
As FITSNews previously reported, Oconee County emergency services responded at 6:20 a.m. EDT last Friday to a residence on Forest Acres Circle near Walhalla for a report of a cardiac arrest patient. The county coroner’s office was dispatched to the address shortly thereafter.
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According to affidavits filed in Oconee County, the deceased child – a four-year-old male – appeared malnourished and severely underweight. Investigators noted the child’s ribs and other bony prominences were visible, his eyes were sunken and he weighed only 21 pounds at the time of his death.
The documents further allege Dionne, who had custody of the child at the time, failed to seek medical care despite the child’s apparent deteriorating condition.
Under South Carolina law (§16-3-85), homicide by child abuse occurs when a parent or guardian causes the death of a child under the age of eleven “while committing child abuse or neglect” – or when death results from “knowingly aiding and abetting another” in such abuse or neglect.
The crime is among the most serious in the state’s criminal code – although it is not a charge for which prosecutors can seek the death penalty. Instead, a conviction carries with it a sentence of anywhere between twenty years to life in prison.
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RELATED | SLED CHARGES STATE TROOPER, WIFE WITH CHILD NEGLECT
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Our media outlet has received numerous reports in connection with this investigation which could potentially lead to additional charges being filed against Latimer and Dionne.
SLED public information director Renée Wunderlich declined to discuss particulars of the case beyond her agency’s official statement, but did confirm to FITSNews that the investigation into Latimer and Dione was “active and ongoing.”
Count on FITSNews to provide updates as this tragic case develops…
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THE RELEASE…
(SLED)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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2 comments
Wth is wrong with people?
so, after the child has died these people want to come forward? really!!!
why didn’t they come forward 6 months ago? WTF