After remains of missing mom found, cause of death released

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Jamilla Smith’s family is feeling a mixture of sadness and relief, now that the murdered Aiken County mom’s remains have been found.

On Monday, an autopsy in Newberry determined her cause of death was due to gunshot wounds to the head, according to Darryl M. Ables, Aiken County coroner.

And even with three arrests, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office says the case is far from over.

“Even though we’ve got an arrest, we have her recovered, doesn’t necessarily mean that it stops,” Capt. Eric Abdullah said. “The investigation is complete when this case goes to trial.”

That’ll happen after authorities start building the case.

“We’ve already been building it,” Abdullah said,” but we start making sure we got our timelines correct, all evidence being processed, which can still take some time.”

It’s taken months, although the family had a strong feeling she’d been killed when Smith vanished in early December.

Her remains were found between 3 and 5 p.m. Thursday in the 2100 block of Silver Bluff Road – in an area authorities had already searched. It was a wooded area 10 minutes away from her house on Old Jackson Highway, where she’d last been seen.

Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables confirmed the remains were Smith’s and notified the family.

Soon after her disappearance, her ex-Daniel Harmon, 34, of Aiken, was charged with the kidnapping and murder of Smith, along with additional drug charges, according to authorities.

Since then, Bryan Alexander Hampton Jr., 35, of Augusta, surrendered in mid-April to authorities who wanted him on suspicion of accessory after the fact to murder, according to authorities.

And Clyde James Hendley II, 46, of Bath, was taken into custody May 2 on a charge of accessory after the fact to murder. Hendley is accused of “helping dispose of the victim” as well as evidence.

In cases like this one, every lead counts. And that’s what led authorities back to the location, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Eric Abdullah said Friday.

“We’ve been out to that location before. And obviously, the investigation didn’t stall,” Abdullah said.

“But after we received some more significant information to pinpoint her location,” searchers were able to go straight to where she was buried,” Abdullah said.

Chandra Cleveland spoke Friday on behalf of Smith’s mother.

“For this to happen near Mother’s Day, and for her to be completed with knowing that her daughter was out there somewhere – and she has children, you know – we can rejoice and we can also grieve at the same time,” she said.

MORE COVERAGE:

• For Jamilla Smith’s family, ‘it’s always going to be tough’
• Jamilla Smith’s family fights grief amid death investigation
• Jamilla Smith’s last plea for help: What 911 operator heard
• Missing mom described as ‘beautiful light’ by family

Cleveland says the family is grateful for the swift action between all law enforcement agencies.

“They couldn’t have found her any faster than the person who was convicted for doing this,” she said. “They knew exactly where she was. And for the family or for anyone else, you know, that knew where she was or knew that he did something and didn’t make him tell – you know, we have to speak up, and speaking up is what got us where we are.”

The family now wants to give her a proper burial.

An arrest warrant affidavit alleged that on Dec. 2, Smith called 911 from her home at 425 Old Jackson Highway, saying her ex-boyfriend had broken into her house and was chasing her down the road.

The next day, her mother reported her missing, and deputies soon sent out an alert that both Smith and Harmon were missing and thought to be in a black Charger.

On Dec. 5, the Charger was found parked in front of a home on Carpentersville Road in North Augusta. Harmon was inside the home and was ultimately arrested.

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