A Spartanburg woman was denied bond Monday and remains in custody at the Spartanburg County Detention Center after investigators charged her with murder in the death of her husband following an early-morning domestic confrontation at a convenience store parking lot.
Spartanburg Police Department officers responded to the Hot Spot Convenience Store at 194 East Henry Street at approximately 4:50 a.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026, following reports of an active disturbance. Upon arrival, officers located 43-year-old Shamarlon Nicola Mathis of Spartanburg lying in the rear parking lot with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle. EMS and Spartanburg Fire Department personnel administered emergency aid at the scene, and Shamarlon Mathis was transported to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
Investigators determined the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute between the victim and the driver of a gray Ford Taurus, identified as La’kesha Jeffery Mathis, 43. According to the Spartanburg Police Department, La’kesha Mathis drove the vehicle forward, striking her husband, causing fatal injuries.
Major Art Littlejohn with the Spartanburg Police Department told reporters the confrontation began as a domestic dispute between the married couple that escalated into a physical altercation. He said at some point Shamarlon Mathis was positioned in front of the vehicle before La’kesha Mathis drove forward and struck him.
During a bond hearing held Monday afternoon, an attorney with the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office told the court that La’kesha Mathis drove forward over Shamarlon Mathis’s body, then reversed back over him, and then drove forward again, dragging him under the vehicle. A judge denied bond following the hearing, and La’kesha Mathis remains confined at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
Major Littlejohn told reporters that the murder charge was supported by witness accounts, surveillance footage from the parking lot, and statements from La’kesha Mathis herself. He said investigators concluded she was the primary aggressor based on that combined evidence.
Shamarlon Mathis’s family members were present in the courtroom during the bond hearing. A family member addressed the judge, expressing that while they grieved Shamarlon’s death, they also did not want to see La’kesha imprisoned, and noted that the couple’s children had lost both a father and now faced losing their mother.
The Spartanburg Police Department has not released details about the exact relationship status beyond identifying the two as husband and wife. The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Spartanburg Police Department at 864-596-2065.
