South Carolina – In a deeply disturbing case that has shaken South Carolina residents to their core, a 30-year-old state trooper, identified as J. Latimer, and his 24-year-old wife, identified as D. Dionnes, now face the gravest of charges after authorities uncovered the horrifying abuse and neglect that led to the death of a 4-year-old boy, identified as .
Latimer and his Dionne have been charged with homicide by child abuse and unlawful conduct toward a child. The 4-year-old victim was Dionne’s biological son. Investigators say he died after enduring extreme neglect and starvation under the care of the couple. Both suspects remain held without bond at the county jail. Latimer, who served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, was terminated following his arrest. Prosecutors revealed disturbing new details at Dionne’s bond hearing, describing the brutal conditions the young boy was subjected to before his death.
In September, deputies with the sheriff’s office were dispatched to the couple’s home. Inside, they found the boy’s lifeless body. Weighing just 21 pounds, the boy appeared malnourished and painfully thin. His ribs were described as “very visible,” and—perhaps most haunting of all—“his eyes were sunken into his head,” according to the arrest warrant. At the hearing, 10th Circuit Solicitor M. Black described the boy’s physical state bluntly. Emergency responders found him “basically skin and bones.” One EMS member said it resembled something seen only in television portrayals of starving children overseas.
Investigators believe the young boy was denied access to basic necessities. He was forced to sleep on the floor with only a blanket while the curtains in his room were stapled shut. He was also locked in a closet at times and made to drink from the toilet instead of being given clean water, according to police. Despite the presence of a younger sibling in the same home, only the 4-year-old showed signs of neglect, while the other child appeared healthy and well-fed.
Authorities say the victim hadn’t received medical care in at least two years. That period began after he left the custody of his maternal grandmother and went to live with his mother and her new partner. Neighbors noted that when they occasionally brought food to the household, the young boy would eat adult-sized portions with a desperation that left them uneasy. The boy’s decline wasn’t subtle—it was systematic and prolonged. Despite visible signs of his condition, no one intervened in time. The boy, once described as a joyful child whose laugh could “warm your heart,” endured his final months in conditions unfit for any human being, let alone a four-year-old.
The judge has denied bond for both Dionne and Latimer. If convicted, they each face a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison. For now, they await trial from behind bars, as the investigation continues to unfold. The victim’s obituary offers a heartbreaking portrait of a life stolen far too soon. He was remembered as “the most beautiful baby boy,” full of laughter and joy, a child whose smile could light up a room. But behind closed doors, that light was extinguished by the very people who were supposed to protect him. The state’s case, built on physical evidence and eyewitness accounts, reveals a level of cruelty that stunned even seasoned law enforcement. As the community grapples with the enormity of the loss, one detail lingers—those sunken eyes, a haunting image of suffering that no child should ever endure.
