Investigator: Greenville man says his brother shot woman during dispute

A Greenville man charged with murder told authorities his brother shot a woman after she pulled out a gun during a drug deal, a Sheriff's Office investigator said during a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Jahru Harold Smith, 51, and Bobby Leon Smith, 54, are both charged with murder in connection with the death of 23-year-old Shamese Logan, according to warrants. They also are charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Tuesday's hearing was for Jahru Smith. Bobby Smith waived his hearing earlier this year.

On the night of Feb. 3, deputies responded to a report of shots being fired in the area of 2 Mayflower Ave. in Greenville County. Deputies found Logan partially propped in the back seat of her Chrysler 300, said Lloyd Newman, an investigator with the Sheriff's Office.

A neighbor told authorities that there was a dispute in the driveway of 2 Mayflower Ave, Newman said. Bobby Smith told investigators that his brother Jahru Smith was arguing with Logan over an amount of crack when Logan pulled out a gun, Newman said. Logan was shot during the struggle, Newman said.

The neighbor saw a man run into the back yard and also saw an individual being dragged toward the back of the residence, Newman said. Authorities believe Logan was the person being dragged.

"We also found dirt and leaves and so forth all along her back," she said. "Her shirt had been pulled up as if she had been (dragged)."

Authorities executed a search warrant at the Mayflower Avenue residence — where Bobby Smith lived with his mother — and located several personal items belonging to Logan, including her cellphone, credit card and driver's license. Her cellphone was in the freezer and her ID was in the toilet. Deputies also discovered blood-soaked money in Bobby Smith's pocket, Newman said. Authorities believe the money belonged to Logan.

Jahru Smith was not taken into custody until days after the incident. He told a television reporter that he shot Logan and that his brother was innocent, Newman said. Jahru Smith's attorney, Ken Gibson, noted that nothing said during the interview contradicted a self-defense claim.

Investigators learned through Jahru Smith's previous attorney, Cassandra Gorton, that he hid the gun in a shed at a nearby residence. Newman said the gun matched the gun used to cause Logan's death.