Police Charge Man in Long Reach Shooting Death of Bail Bondswoman

Howard County police have charged a 21-year-old Columbia man in the who police say was trying to collect bond money from him.

Dominique Davon McDonald, whose last known address was 9761 Clocktower Lane, was charged Wednesday with murder in the death of Nichole McNair.

McNair’s slaying was the third homicide of the year in Columbia. On Tuesday, of no fixed address, fatally stabbed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 5500 block of Harper’s Farm Road after receiving a 911 call at around 4:30 p.m.

Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn declined to release the 911 tapes in either homicide case this week, saying they were both open investigations.

Investigators said they believe McDonald arranged to meet McNair on Hayshed Lane to make a payment for a recent bail charge.

McNair was working as a bail bondswoman, though it was unclear what company she was representing.

On her MySpace page, she said she worked for Platinum Bailbonds, but an employee who answered the phone there Wednesday said McNair was not an employee.

Police received multiple calls to 911 Monday night from the Hayshed Lane area reporting at least one gun shot around 10 p.m.

Officers responded and found McNair in the parking lot of an apartment building suffering from a gunshot wound.

She was transported to in critical condition and later died, according to a press release.

McNair’s car was found at the scene, still running.

Police said witnesses reported seeing a man in a hooded jacket running from the scene.

Detectives searched McNair’s car and found paperwork indicating she was collecting a payment from McDonald.

Police said a search of the woods near the crime scene uncovered a cell phone that belonged to McNair and the back piece of a Samsung cell phone that was later determined to belong to McDonald.

Detectives said they then learned that McDonald had been staying in an apartment building in the 8800 block of Tamar Drive. They went to that location and observed McDonald leaving the building.

He was stopped by police and was in possession of the other half of the Samsung phone, police said.

Investigators said they searched the building and found a jacket with a hood and a loaded handgun, both in a common area in the basement of the building.

McDonald was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first-and second-degree assault. He is being held at the Howard County Detention Center on $2 million bond.