By Trend News Line 2024-02-13 11:00:00.
Man on Trial for Fatally Shooting Two Women in Moncks Corner
In a chilling murder trial currently taking place in Berkeley County Circuit Court, prosecutors are meticulously piecing together the puzzle of a harrowing crime that occurred on a rainy summer night in 2020. The accused, Damayjhon Quintez Gadson, stands accused of fatally shooting two women on the side of a rural road. The trial, which commenced on February 12th, is shedding light on the events leading up to that fateful night.
Assistant Solicitor Michelle Hart opened the trial with a shocking revelation, presenting text messages exchanged between Gadson and one of the victims, a 25-year-old sex worker. These messages revealed that the victim and another woman, who often drove her, had arranged to pick up Gadson for a paid sexual encounter. The trial is focusing on the evidence found in these text messages to build a case against the accused.
Phone records have been crucial in establishing a timeline of events. According to these records, on June 28, 2020, Gadson claimed to be walking down the road to meet the women at a specific location. Subsequently, three phone calls were made from the younger victim to Gadson. However, it remains unclear from the arrest warrant affidavits whether Gadson actually entered the car.
At 10:46 p.m., one of the victims sent a text message to Gadson saying “99,” which is believed to be her desperate attempt to call for help. Just eight minutes later, a passing driver reported a body in the road and a crashed car. The victims, identified as 25-year-old Lashawn Gadson and 61-year-old Lori Gentile, were tragically found shot to death. Lashawn Gadson had been shot seven times and was discovered in the middle of the road, while Gentile had sustained four gunshot wounds, at least one to the head. She was slumped in the driver’s seat of the still-running car.
During the trial, it was revealed that two days before the shooting, Gadson had engaged in a text message conversation with another sex worker, alleging that he had sexually molested and robbed her at gunpoint at the same location where the victims had arranged to meet him.
Prosecutor Hart urged the jury, comprised of seven men and seven women, to consider all the pieces of the puzzle and see the bigger picture. Defense attorney Jason Bybee, on the other hand, asserted that the evidence presented by the 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office would leave the jury with unanswered questions.
As the trial reaches its conclusion, the prosecution seeks to convince the jury of Gadson’s guilt while the defense emphasizes his presumed innocence. This high-profile trial is expected to conclude this week, delivering justice to the victims and closure to their families..
– Berkeley County double murder trial
– Murder trial underway in Berkeley County.