It is anticipated that one of the charges against a Fayetteville man who is accused of assaulting two unhoused residents last month will be elevated to murder following the death of one of his alleged victims.
On May 28, the Fayetteville Police Department apprehended Jayden Leming, 19, for two counts of attempted homicide.
On Tuesday, Washington County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Denis Dean disclosed that Phyllis Garrett, 62, was one of the alleged victims of the Leming.
According to Dean, one of Leming’s attempted murder charges will be elevated to murder; however, no information was provided regarding whether it will be classified as first-degree murder or capital murder.
In a social media post, the FPD stated that on May 25, officers responded to an assault and battery complaint at a local day centre that serves unhoused residents.
According to a preliminary police report, officers discovered Garrett and a man who had been assaulted by a “blunt object” while they were asleep upon arriving at the scene.
According to the police, Leming is purportedly responsible for striking both victims in the skull with this blunt object, which has a weighted end. Garrett also experienced a brain bleed, while Tatum sustained a fractured cranium. Both individuals were transported to the hospital and are currently in critical condition.
