Marion County judge revokes bond for Loris man accused of killing estranged wife in 2021

MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Loris man accused of killing his estranged wife in 2021 had his bond revoked Wednesday in Marion County Circuit Court and is expected to face a jury early next year.

Corey Dontray Rowell, 29, killed Lasha Bellamy on May 13, 2021, authorities said. Her body was found on Tylaura Road in Mullins.

Rowell already was in the Marion County Detention Center on charges of first-degree domestic violence, resisting arrest and a weapons charge when the murder count was added. He also had been charged with firearms violations in connection with a drive-by shooting in 2020.

In November 2021, Rowell posted an $85,000 bond on those charges — a decision that Bellamy’s sister Antazhia Richardson said brought another layer of anguish to the family.

“When I heard that Corey was granted bond it was honestly like getting the news that my sister was taken away from me all over again,” she told News13. “My body felt numb. I was hurt and upset.”

Rowell was arrested again by Florence County authorities on March 1, 2023, on charges that included assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and throwing bodily fluids. Court records show that he posted bond two days later.

Multiple family members attended Rowell’s court appearance Wednesday, asking for his bond to be denied.

“I just really want other mothers and other people who are going through domestic violence, I just want them to know that they’re worth so much more than that they don’t have to put up with that,” another younger sister of Lasha, Azariah Richardson told News13 in 2021.

This is a developing story. Count on News13 for updates on-air and online.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here .

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