By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The St. Helena Island woman accused in the drowning her 6-year-old daughter will remain in jail after she waived her right to a bond hearing that was originally scheduled for June 15, 2023, in Beaufort.
Jamie Bradley-Brun, 37, is currently being held at the Beaufort County Detention Center where she has been since she was arrested on May 19.
Bradley-Brun was charged with murder for the drowning of her 6-year-old daughter, Mackaya, and attempted murder in the near drowning of her 8-year-old daughter.
The 8-year-old was saved by her 16-year-old sister, who was awoken by sounds of the struggle coming from the bathroom, according to Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner in a press conference following her arrest.
The teenager allegedly stopped her mother from drowning her sister before the two girls fled their family home off Sam Doyle Drive on St. Helena Island and went to a neighboring home before calling 911.
According to a press release from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) on May 19, Bradley-Brun was arrested after law enforcement arrived on the scene just before 1:30 a.m. and discovered the body of the 6-year-old.
The investigation is ongoing and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Special Victim’s Unit – Department of Child Fatalities is working alongside the BCSO.
A vigil was held on May 31 on St. Helena Island to celebrate Mackaya’s life and to show the community’s support of her family during this difficult time.
A Go-Fund-Me page was also created to help the family cover memorial costs and the expenses of relocating the family to Port Royal.
According to Jeff Kidd, with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, it is not uncommon for someone to waive their bond hearing and she retains the right to request a bond hearing in the future.
“She waived her bond hearing, that was her decision,” Kidd said. “It’s not all that unusual. Murder is one of those offenses that has the potential to carry a life sentence and the bond has to be set by a circuit court judge. When that happens, it’s about 50/50, sometimes the defendants will waive it and sometimes they will try to get bond.”
Deputy Public Defender Courtney Gibbes is representing Bradley-Brun in this case.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
