AMERICUS — A second homicide in eight days occurred in Sumter County early Wednesday morning and a local woman is in custody charged with murder.

Lanica Moss, 20, of 123 Pecan Terrace of Americus, was arrested Wednesday evening and charged with murder as recommended by the district attorney’s office in the stabbing death of Michael Bernard Taylor, 30, whose address was also listed at 123 Pecan Terrace, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department.

Taylor reportedly was from Valdosta.

In a press release, Chief Deputy Charlie Whitehead said shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday deputies were dispatched to 123 Pecan Terrace in reference to a fight.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered Taylor outside lying on a vehicle, and he was non-responsive. Sumter Regional Hospital Emergency

Medical Services transferred Taylor to Sumter Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

At the scene, deputies made contact with Moss, who said Taylor had gotten into an argument with her, allegedly pulling a knife and threatening to kill her.

Derrick Waters, 26, of 131 West Rockhill Road, Americus, a friend of Moss who was at the residence, tried to intervene, but was stabbed by Taylor, according to Whitehead.

According to Waters’ mother, Lorene Floyd, her son was trying to protect Moss when Taylor reportedly stabbed him. Waters is a correctional officer at the Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe.

Authorities said Waters then drove himself to Sumter Regional Hospital where he underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition Wednesday.

Authorities said Moss managed to get Taylor out of the house, locked the doors, went into the bedroom and locked that door.

Taylor then re-entered the house through a kitchen window and went to the bedroom, where, according to authorities, he kicked in the door.

Another struggle ensued, but Moss was able to get the knife away from Taylor and allegedly stabbed him in the chest. Taylor ran outside of the house.

Moss locked the door and called the sheriff’s office.

According to Floyd, Taylor, a former boyfriend of Moss, had come from Valdosta to help her because she was supposedly having trouble with the father of her 1-month-old child.

According to Whitehead, Moss was taken into custody, then later released on her own recognizance Wednesday morning.

However, Southwestern Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant District Attorney Richard Nettum said his office authorized a warrant for her arrest shortly after her release and she was taken back into custody Wednesday evening.

According to past sheriff department records, Taylor was involved in a fight at the Express Lane on Meadowbrook Drive in 1990. Moss had no previous incidents involving the sheriff department.

On April 30, another domestic dispute turned deadly in the county when Sheila Nichelle Freeman, 25, a certified nursing assistant at Magnolia Manor, died due to strangulation by her boyfriend, Benji Cortez Sanders, 21, at her 900 Angus Drive residence. Sanders is currently being held in the Sumter County Law Enforcement Center, awaiting a grand jury hearing on May 28, according to Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Cecilia Cooper.



Staff Writer Ken Garner also contributed to this article.