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4th man facing charges in murder of teen BCSO makes another arrest in New Year’s Day 2024 killing of Battery Creek freshman Staff reports The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has charged a fourth individual in connection with the New Year’s Day 2024 murder of 14-year-old Jerrieme Jermaine “L.J.” Washington, then a freshman at Battery Creek High School. On Saturday, Jerrieme Aug. 27, 2025, inWashington vestigators served Niger Benjamin Davilia, 24, of Beaufort, with an arrest warrant for accessory before the fact to a felony. Davilia was already in custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center on charges related to a December 2024 incident at the time the warrant was served. The new charge stems from the January 1, 2024, shooting that resulted in the tragic death of 14-year-old L.J. Washington. Shortly before 11 p.m. that night, deputies responded to the report of gunfire on Castle Rock Road in Burton where Washington was discovered inside the home dead from a gunshot wound. Investigators determined that Washington had been playing
Port Royal’s Wendy Zara addresses the Beaufort County National Resources Committee, protesting the development of Pine Island on St. Helena Island during the committee’s meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Committee defers Pine Island vote
Zoning Map Amendment won’t be heard until September 22 County Council meeting By Delayna Earley The Island News The Beaufort County National Resources Committee has deferred a vote on an ordinance to amend the Pine Island Zoning Map Amendment until the Beaufort County Council meets later in September.
The decision was made by the County Council Chairwoman Alice Howard and York Glover, the Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, after the applicant, Elvio Tropeano, requested that the Zoning Map Amendment not be looked at before County Council has a chance to look
at and discuss the related development agreement that he has put forward as well in hopes of having Pine Island removed from the Cultural Protection Overlay (CPO) to pave the way to build a golf course.
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SEE MURDER PAGE A7
Probation officer accused of licking parolees
By Mike McCombs The Island News Beaufort’s David Johnathon Shytle Jr., 47, a Probation Officer with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon and a former City of Beaufort police officer, was arrested last week by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and charged with two counts of Assault & Battery — 2nd Degree and five counts of Misconduct in Office — charges that include the defendant allegedly
touching and licking the private parts of the victim. The warrants were obtained Monday, Aug. 25, and served Thursday, Aug. 28. One warrant for assault & battery — 2nd degree says Shytle, as a probation officer for the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardons, allegedly on March 14, 2025 “did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously grab the victim’s …, place his mouth on the …, and lick the …, causing noncon-
sensual touching of the victim’s private parts.” The second warrant for assault & battery — 2nd degree said that Shytle, on, about and between Nov. 13, 2024 and March 7, 2025, as a probation officer for the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardons, allegedly “did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously grab the victim’s … and …, causing nonconsensual touching of the victim’s private parts.” Two of the misconduct in office
warrants involved the same incidents. The first said that on, about and between March 14, 2025 and April 4, 2025, as a probation officer for the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardons, the defendant allegedly “did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously engage in an inappropriate relationship with [the victim], a parolee under his supervision, while acting in his official capacity as a probation officer. The defendant sent [the victim] inappropriate text messages
and images via cell phone. The defendant did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously grab the victim’s …, place his mouth on the …, and lick the …, causing nonconsensual touching of the victim’s private parts. The defendant did commit these acts … in breach of his duty of good faith and accountability of the public. The second was similar to the second assault & battery warrant.
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Tickets for HBF’s 51st Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens on sale.
Jason Mott celebrates with NeverMore Books.
Whale Branch Warriors run over Hurricanes; Bowers scores 4 TDs.
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ON THE SOUND CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY OF CONSERVATION
Saturday, October 18
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Scan the QR code or visit: PortRoyalSoundFoundation.org/NOTS 11th Annual Night on the Sound Presented by our 2025 Sound Stewards