17-year-old suspect charged with murdering man found dead in burnt car; denied bond

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A suspect has been arrested for firing the shots that killed the man found dead inside a burnt vehicle.

17-year-old Zyon Vaughn is charged with murder in connection with the death of 20-year-old Omarion Brown. He was denied bond at a hearing on May 1 in Dorchester County.

Read more: Man found dead in burnt car was shot to death before being set on fire: CCSO

Brown was found dead on April 13 inside a vehicle that had been set on fire in Ladson. Deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) who responded to the fire discovered Brown's body after they extinguished the flames. The vehicle belonged to Brown.

Deputies say Brown was "burned beyond recognition". An autopsy showed two bullets inside Brown's thoracic cavity and no smoke damage in his lungs, indicating he was deceased before being set on fire.

Also arrested in connection with Brown's death was 19-year-old Brandon Eric Steplight. The CCSO charged Steplight with first-degree arson and desecration of human remains.

According to prosecutors, Vaughn told his co-defendants that he fired the shots that killed Brown, then drove the vehicle to Ladson, where it was found by deputies.

Read more: 19-year-old arrested in connection with man found dead in burnt car; charged with arson

Monique Sawyer, Brown's mother, spoke about Vaughn's arrest following the bond hearing.

"They caught the person who shot my son," Sawyer said. "That's what make me happy about today. I can smile today and be happy for my son because the shooter is in jail."

"A 17-year-old child killed my child," she continued. "Nothing will bring me back from that. I'm going to always judge (Vaughn) as an adult killer because he killed my child."

Sawyer pledged to appear at all of Vaughn's hearings. Vaughn is scheduled to appear next in state court in Saint George on July 9.