An Augusta man charged with murder in the 2021 death of his mother was again denied bond Friday.
Donte L. Bell Sr., 41, beat his mother, Awanda Thomas, with a rusty pipe, locked her in a bathroom, then shot her in the head, prosecutors said.
Thomas, 58, was a healthcare worker. Family members sat quietly, one losing composure, in Richmond County Superior Court for Bell’s bond hearing.
District Attorney Jared Williams said he is prosecuting the case, which includes a confession.
Bell “has no conscience and doesn’t care when anyone dies,” Williams said. “Those are his words.”
Prior news reports said Thomas allowed Bell, who has a long history of arrests for drugs and family violence, to live in her Martin Road home. When she sought to evict him, he attacked her, beating her in front of family members who were afraid to intervene.
In a motion for bond reconsideration, defense attorney Siobhan Hughley said Bell has been in jail since Nov. 3, 2021 and had yet to receive discovery.
Bell was previously denied a bond a month after his arrest. Superior Court Judge John Flythe again denied him a bond Friday.
Bond denied for man accused of violent attack on family
Flythe also denied a bond Friday for Jacob Edward Jones, 45. Jones is charged with three counts of aggravated assault-family violence, two counts of cruelty to children and other charges.
Prosecutors said in June 2022 Jones viciously attacked a woman and her three children in their Augusta home.
The attacks included punching an 11-year-old in the face, grabbing a 13-year-old by the neck, chasing the woman and children with a large knife and throwing knives at them.
