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SUMTER, S.C. () — A former Beaufort County man is in custody and charged in the case of Sophia Van Dam and her 2-year-old son Matteo. Van Dam and Matteo were reported missing in 2023.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office shared a social media post from the Sumter Police Department saying Jonas Jerry Washington, 26, was taken into custody earlier this week in Georgia. He is being held locally at the Sumter County Detention Center and is charged with murder in the killing of Van Dam and the kidnapping of Matteo.
Washington will appear before a Circuit Court judge for a hearing on Tuesday, June 24 at the Sumter County Judicial Center.
Washington was living with Van Dam in Sumter before she and Matteo were reported missing by family members in Beaufort County.
The investigation is ongoing and the Sumter Police are working with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI.
Anyone with information on the case should call the Sumter Police Department at 803-436-2700.