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Asheville man pleads guilty to murder of 4-year-old in Hillcrest

ASHEVILLE – An Asheville man pleaded guilty Aug. 11 to the first-degree murder of Jailyn Dumari Morton, who was found by police lying facedown in the living room of a Hillcrest apartment in 2020.

Rodnee Rayshaun Bowman, 21, pleaded guilty in Buncombe County District Court and was sentenced by Judge Alan Thornburg to 144 to 185 months in prison, or 12 to more than 15 years, according to an Aug. 27 news release from District Attorney Todd William's office.

According to Asheville Police arrest warrants, video surveillance and witness statements indicated that a fight had occurred at the apartment in Hillcrest Apartments – a public housing complex near the River Arts District – shortly before the shooting on Feb. 9, 2020, the Citizen Times previously reported. Witnesses said a fight broke out with Bowman, which did not involve the victim, Morton, the news release said.

An “associate of Morton made efforts to break up the fight,” the press release states. After the fight, an argument broke out between Morton and Bowman, who pulled out a 9mm pistol and shot Morton in the right side of his chest.

Surveillance camera footage shows Bowman running from the crime scene, the press release said.

During an investigation of the crime scene on February 10, police found a “crystal-like substance” believed to be drugs, as well as pills, a bullet casing, a syringe containing a clear liquid and a digital scale, according to previous reporting by the Citizen Times.

Previous reporting: Police: Teen charged with premeditated murder in Hillcrest shooting

Initial police investigations: Asheville police investigate Hillcrest shooting as possible premeditated murder

Police responded and found Morton unconscious in the living room, according to arrest warrants. He was taken by EMS to Mission Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 24 years old.

According to a February 27, 2020, APD press release, APD charged Bowman – who was a minor at the time – with first-degree murder and took him into custody in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service.

Bowman was initially charged as a juvenile, but North Carolina law requires certain serious crimes, including first-degree murder, to be referred to Superior Court after probable cause has been established in juvenile court.

According to the prosecutor's press release, Morton's mother was present and spoke at Bowman's sentencing.

Born in Greenwood County, South Carolina, Morton is described as a “fun-loving individual who loved to spread joy through his cooking,” according to his online obituary. He graduated from Greenwood High School in 2013 and left behind his mother, father, three brothers and three sisters to “cherish his memory.”

“I hope this verdict brings legal closure to Jailyn Morton's family, and I wish them peace and healing,” District Attorney Williams said in the press release.

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Ryley Ober is a public safety reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. You can email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @ryleyober.

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