Bond denied for defendant Latimer

The 30-year-old Walhalla area man charged with homicide by child abuse of his 4-year-old stepson was returned to jail this morning, after a judge decided that, at this time, a bond would be inappropriate. Judge McIntosh ruled another application for bond may be made in six months. The accused, Joshua Emanuel Lamar Latimer, lost his job as a state trooper simultaneous with his arrest in September.  Latimer’s wife, Destiny Shay Dionne, is a co-defendant in the case.  Trial dates have not been announced.  Solicitor Micah Black announced autopsy results received today show Isaiah Joseph Dionne died September 19 of starvation and dehydration. Black also recited some of the results of what public safety responders found when they went to the defendants’ home in the Forest Acres community after Isaiah was found unresponsive early that September morning.  Following Black, defense attorney Jason Alderman disagreed with some of what the state claims happened, but he conceded that this morning’s bond hearing was not the time to establish the facts.  Nevertheless, assistant public defender Alderman argued that his client would not be a risk to flee if granted bond and is a lifelong Oconeean with ties to the community having compiled a good record while a trooper.  Authorities have been detaining Latimer in Anderson, and Alderman complained that the distance between Walhalla and Anderson makes it difficult for him to meet with his client to go over pre-trial business.