Murder charge added in missing Aiken County mom’s case

JACKSON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into Jamilla Smith has turned from a missing-persons case to a homicide case.

On Saturday, Capt. Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office says 34-year-old Daniel Harmon, who was previously charged and arrested in this case, is now being charged with murder.

An arrest warrant affidavit also obtained reveals discoveries made across multiple days from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, starting with Jamilla’s 911 phone call to authorities.

On December 2, the affidavit details Jamilla’s last phone call to 911 mentioning her ex-boyfriend allegedly breaking into her house, screaming, and eventually being run over before the end of the call.

On December 3, the affidavit then notes Tina McCraw, Jamilla’s mother, reporting her missing, followed the next day on December 4 with a press release from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office noting both Jamilla and Daniel as missing.

December 5, the affidavit mentions the Sheriff’s Office finding Harmon with his missing black Dodge Charger at a property on Carpentersville Road in North Augusta.

Then on December 6, the affidavit details an executed search warrant on the Dodge Charger, with suspected blood found inside of the trunk and on parts of a spare tire found inside of the trunk.

On December 23, the affidavit then says that Capt. Eric Abdullah received a notification of the completed DNA report.

While parts of the warrant are blacked out, this comes on the same day a murder charge was added to Harmon’s case.

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This comes almost a week after Smith’s family increased their reward for information on Jamilla’s whereabouts from $5,000 to $10,000.

Smith’s last known location was her house at 425 Old Jackson Highway on the night of Dec. 2. She called 911 and said she was running from a man she described as her ex. The phone went dead but not before a male voice is heard yelling at her to get in the car, followed by a horn blaring.

Harmon was arrested and charged on Dec. 5 with domestic violence in the second degree, and a kidnapping charge was later added to the case.

Abdullah says the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are working on the case.

If anyone has any information on this investigation, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to reach out to their office at 803-648-6811.

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