DENMARK, SOUTH CAROLINA — A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 43 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his girlfriend, Megan Faith Bodiford, a 25-year-old mother of three, and setting her body on fire inside a car.
Jarrett Haskell Davis, 28, entered guilty pleas on Monday to murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, third-degree arson, and desecration of human remains. He received 43 years for the murder charge, with concurrent terms for the other offenses.
A Final Plea for Help
Bodiford disappeared around April 25, 2024, after sending a chilling text to a friend that read, “If you don’t hear from me in 30 minutes, he killed me.” She also warned that Davis was armed.
Days later, the Bamberg County Sheriff’s Office discovered a burned vehicle less than two miles from her home. Inside, investigators found Bodiford’s remains. Davis was arrested soon after and later confessed to the killing.
Bodiford, who leaves behind three young daughters aged seven, four, and four months, had reportedly confided in friends and family about ongoing abuse and fear for her safety.
Family’s Grief and Anger
Outside the courthouse, Bodiford’s cousin Stephanie Nickens described the horror of the discovery and her cousin’s final moments.
“It’s gut-wrenching because he didn’t have to do all of that,” she said.
Nickens also voiced frustration with the justice system, noting that Davis had an outstanding domestic violence warrant at the time of the murder.
“If he’d been locked up the way he was supposed to be the first time, maybe he never would’ve had the chance to hurt her,” she added.
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