In what should have been the safest place for a child, two-year-old Moises Montano was lying in bed with his mother on the night of August 16, 2018, inside their Ridgeland, South Carolina mobile home. Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the sound of gunfire as multiple bullets tore through the exterior wall of their residence on Fordville Road. One of those rounds struck the young male child in the head, tragically ending his life.
His mother immediately called 911, reporting that her son was not breathing, but by the time paramedics arrived and took over CPR, it was too late.
The investigation into the senseless killing quickly focused on a 'civil dispute over property lines' between the Montano family and their neighbors. Moises's father had placed logs along the property line to prevent neighbors from driving over his septic system, which had led to quarrels. Within an hour of the shooting, investigators identified two persons of interest, one of whom was 18-year-old Dionte J'chon Habersham, a relative of the neighbors involved in the dispute. Though no eyewitnesses saw the shooter, circumstantial evidence began to build a compelling case against him.
Investigators discovered eight 9mm shell casings from a single firearm in a field approximately 100 feet behind the Montano home, along with footprints leading to the spot. The footprints were later found to be consistent with the shoes Habersham was wearing that night, with one print being an exact match. Habersham provided an alibi that was quickly discredited when the individuals he claimed to be with denied seeing him until after law enforcement was on the scene. He also denied being around guns but refused to submit to a gunshot residue test. After obtaining a warrant, authorities conducted the test, which came back positive, showing residue on both his hands and clothing.
Dionte J'chon Habersham was arrested and charged with the murder of Moises Montano, as well as attempted murder and weapons possession charges. A second person of interest was questioned but was not arrested. In July 2021, a Jasper County jury found Habersham, then 21, guilty of murder, shooting into a dwelling, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Despite the murder weapon never being recovered, the strength of the circumstantial evidence led to his conviction. He was subsequently sentenced to 33 years in prison for a fatal act that stemmed from a neighborhood disagreement.
