Man accused of kidnapping, killing 80-year-old Horry County woman waives right to jury trial
FLORENCE, S.C. (WMBF) – The fate of a man accused of kidnapping and killing an 80-year-old Horry County woman will be decided by a federal judge.
A status conference for Dominique Brand’s case was held on Wednesday where he waived his right to a jury trial and indicated that he wanted to move forward with a bench trial.
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A bench trial is when evidence will be presented to a judge rather than a jury, and the judge will decide whether the defendant is guilty or not.
Authorities said that Brand kidnapped Mary Ann Elvington from her home in Nichols in March 2021, forced her to drive him to North Carolina and then back to South Carolina. They said he ended up shooting and killing her in Marion County behind an abandoned grocery store.
A grand jury indicted him on the charges of kidnapping, carjacking and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing murder.
Federal court documents show that Brand’s bench trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 7 before U.S. District Court Judge Sherri Lydon.
The U.S. Attorney of South Carolina also confirmed that it is not a death penalty trial.
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