Columbia Police Department (CPD) investigators have charged a 26-year-old man in connection with an initial suspicious death investigation.
Devante Antonio Dinkins is charged with the Unauthorized Removal of a Dead Body in connection with the 2022 suspicious death of a 24-year-old male acquaintance.
On September 16, 2022, Dinkins and the victim were at a Kimpton Drive home. The victim suffered from a medical event and passed away.
Dinkins is accused of removing the victim from inside the home and burying him in a shallow grave in the backyard. Dinkins allegedly did not call notify police or call 9-1-1. A witness saw the soil was disturbed in the backyard, noticed suspicious activity, and notified CPD.
Dinkins has been released from the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after a judge issued a $10,000 surety bond.
The Richland County Coroner’s Office assisted CPD with the investigation.
All persons arrested/charged are presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.