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Background: Police present at the site where Takeshia Eads was allegedly killed by her husband Lamar Bryant (YouTube/WESH). Insets: Top – Takeshia Eads (Facebook), Bottom – Lamar Bryant (Orange County (Fla.) Jail).
A Florida woman who was trying to leave her husband is dead after police say he refused to sign divorce papers — and then shot her in their home.
Authorities have charged 41-year-old Lamar Bryant with first-degree premeditated murder for allegedly fatally shooting his wife, 42-year-old Takeshia Bryant, in their Orlando home. Per a report from the local NBC affiliate, WESH, Takeshia’s family prefers she be called by her maiden name, Takeshia Eads.
A probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime indicates that Eads had recently initiated divorce proceedings against Lamar Bryant, who allegedly would not sign the divorce papers.
According to the affidavit, the violence unfolded shortly after 3:30 p.m. on March 25, after Bryant picked up the couple’s daughter from school — and appeared to be under the influence.
“Lamar Bryant was displaying signs of intoxication to include slurring his words and being disrespectful” when he arrived at the school to pick up his daughter, the affidavit says. With his daughter and another witness — a girl said to be dating Bryant’s son — in the car, Bryant allegedly drove from the school to a liquor store and bought a “glass bottle of alcohol.” He then allegedly “drank from the bottle as he drove” to a storage unit, which his daughter said Bryant used “to store narcotics and firearms.”
“Lamar Bryant left the vehicle by himself and went to the storage unit out of view,” the affidavit says. “Lamar Bryant returned to the vehicle with his hands in the front pockets of his sweatsuit. Upon entering the vehicle, Lamar Bryant removed two firearms from his pockets and placed them on the center console.”
The daughter reportedly had “a clear view of the firearms” and identified them as “two black ‘Glocks,’ and one with a laser.”
Bryant then drove to their home on West Livingston Street, where Bryant was sitting on the porch with another one of her daughters.
“Upon arrival, Takeshia Bryant approached the vehicle on the driver side and made contact with Lamar Bryant,” the affidavit says. At that point the two passengers got out of the car, and Bryant allegedly put the two firearms into his daughter’s purse “and told her to hide them behind the house.” Bryant was apparently nervous because there was “a suspected police helicopter flying above the residence.”
More from Law&Crime: Married couple found dead in home in apparent murder-suicide were beginning divorce process, friend says
Once the helicopter was gone, Bryant allegedly went to the place where the guns were hidden, returned with the bag, and took out one of the guns.
Meanwhile, Eads had gone into the house to use the restroom.
“[Eads] entered the residence,” the affidavit says. “Lamar Bryant entered the residence soon after.”
The daughter who was sitting on the porch with Eads told investigators that around 15 to 20 minutes later, she heard “pops” that sounded like gunshots. She went into the house and “observed Lamar Bryant emerging from the back of the residence” from the area of the bathroom that Eads had gone to use, according to the affidavit.
That same daughter then discovered her mother in the bathroom and called 911.
Police say their observations from the scene matched the witnesses’ accounts of what happened.
“Based on the facts and circumstances of the investigation, Lamar Bryant consciously decided to commit the murder of Takeshia Bryant,” the affidavit says. “There is no evidence to suggest Takeshia Bryant had a firearm or was threatening Lamar Bryant at the time of the homicide,” it later adds, calling the killing “premeditated.”
Eads was a mother to four and soon to be a grandmother to five, local CBS affiliate WKMG reported. She was described by family members as the “backbone” of their family.
“She touched a lot of people, and she touched a lot of lives, so she was a good woman,” Eads’ adult daughter told WESH.
Bryant made his first court appearance on Thursday and was ordered to remain in custody. Court records show that his next hearing is set for April 1.
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