In the late afternoon of February 24, 2019, emergency services in Greenville, South Carolina, responded to what appeared to be a routine single-car accident on Piedmont Highway. Inside the vehicle, they discovered the body of 21-year-old Jayla Thomas-Smith. Initially, her death was attributed to the crash, a tragic but seemingly straightforward incident. However, a closer examination by the coroner revealed a more sinister truth: Jayla had been shot.
This discovery immediately transformed the case into a homicide investigation, unraveling the narrative of a simple car wreck to expose a story of domestic violence.
As investigators delved into Jayla's life, her family grappled with the devastating loss just ten days after her 21st birthday. They described her as a vibrant young woman who loved to paint and cherished spending time with her family. Her aunt expressed disbelief that Jayla would have been in the desolate area where her car was found, suggesting she must have been lured there. The family's grief was compounded by the fact that her cell phone was missing from the scene, leading them to believe the killer had taken it. Their pleas for answers echoed the deep sense of injustice they felt, desperate to understand why someone would so violently end the life of a woman they described as full of compassion.
Two months after Jayla's death, a significant breakthrough occurred in the case. In April 2019, 20-year-old Deltravious Daquandra Howard turned himself in to the authorities and was subsequently charged with murder. Investigators stated that he had shot Jayla during a domestic dispute and then abandoned her in the car to be found. The investigation also led to the arrest of his brother, Delgardo Daquan Howard, who was charged with accessory after the fact for allegedly making false statements to the police to protect his brother.
During an emotional court hearing, Jayla's mother, Reanetta Thomas, confronted Deltravious Howard, revealing that her daughter had been in a relationship with him and had even provided him with shelter when he was homeless. With raw anguish, she questioned why he would take the life of the one person who had shown him love and care. Despite her heart-wrenching plea for answers, Howard remained silent with his head down. The judge denied him bond, and he remained incarcerated while awaiting trial. His brother, Delgardo, was later released on a $25,000 bond.
