How did Thomas Berry’s body end up in a car in Strom Thurmond Lake over the summer?
The arrest of two Augusta men is providing some answers in the mysterious death of the 24-year-old Grovetown victim.
According to warrants, big-time drug dealer Dezmond Moran and suspect Flomo Gbelewala held Berry against his will at Moran’s home at 1821 Thompson Rd. in Augusta. They repeatedly beat Berry with an unknown weapon at the home where Moran had over 75 pounds of marijuana and a load of cash and guns.
At some point, Berry was put into a Dodge Challenger, and Moran drove it to McCormick County. That is where the vehicle was found Aug. 31, in Strom Thurmond Lake with Berry’s body inside. The victim was identified by his fingerprints.
The mystery of where and when Berry was actually killed appears to be unresolved. No murder charges have been filed despite the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division calling it a homicide after the discovery of the submerged car.
But authorities went to Moran’s home last month and arrested him for kidnapping and aggravated assault against Berry. Gbelewala was finally arrested Thursday and charged with the same crimes.
The motive is unclear, but at Moran’s home, sheriff’s investigators found a ton of drugs and cash. In a trap door in the hallway of the Thompson Road residence, officers found 61 pounds of marijuana with another 17 pounds in another location. Also, a hidden shelf in a closet held about $19,000 cash with another $5,400 found in a shoe box. Deputies located at least four firearms in the residence.
Moran, 28, was arrested Nov. 22 for possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute, possession of firearm by convicted felons, possession of firearm or knife during crime, trafficking marijuana, aggravated assault and kidnapping.
Moran is a felon who spent eight months of a five-year sentence in a Georgia prison for false report of a crime and fleeing police in Bulloch County. He was released in 2020.
Gbelewla, 32, was arrested Thursday and held on the kidnapping and aggravated assault charge as well as marijuana possession. He previously lived in Northern California.
Who was Thomas Berry? In an obituary, he was described as a kind-hearted teddy bear who loved to joke around. He was survived by a large family that included his mother, brother and step-brother. Berry was laid to rest on Sept 10.
