Inset images: Shelaya Broadwater (Shelaya Broadwater/Facebook) and Rondale Dickerson (Howard County Police). Background photo: Apartment in Ellicott City, Maryland, where Broadwater was allegedly killed by Dickerson (WBAL/YouTube).
Authorities in Maryland report that a 34-year-old man allegedly stabbed his fiancee to death just one week after they got engaged, in what has been described as a “truly unfortunate domestic incident.”
Rondale Dickerson is suspected of the murder of 44-year-old Shelaya Broadwater at her residence in Ellicott City, a suburb of Baltimore, according to the Howard County Police Department. Officers responded to a call at around 3 p.m. on Thursday to an apartment in the 3100 block of West Springs Drive, where they found Broadwater dead from multiple stab wounds.
Authorities have charged Dickerson with first- and second-degree murder, assault, and home invasion. According to a criminal complaint obtained by local NBC affiliate WBAL, Dickerson reportedly arrived at Broadwater’s apartment at approximately 5 a.m. on that Thursday and knocked persistently on the door but left when there was no response.
Authorities alleged Dickerson returned and stabbed his fiancee to death before fleeing. Cops noted there were no signs of forced entry at the home.
A relative of Broadwater’s found her body and called 911.
“This appears to be a very tragic domestic case. We are currently unsure of the motive, whether it was ongoing issues or a sudden outburst,” explained Seth Hoffman, a spokesperson for Howard County Police, to WBAL.
Shortly after discovering Broadwater’s body, police received a report about a person acting suspiciously at a nearby Walmart. This individual was identified as Dickerson, who was then apprehended by the police.
Dickerson is being held at the Howard County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 22.
