Three Suspects in Jayden McComber Death Denied Bond at Arraignment

A Caroline County judge denied bond Friday for three of the four people charged with the second-degree murder of Jayden Michael McComber, the 18-year-old Hopewell High School senior whose body was found in a rural pond last week after a six-day search.

Devonti Gregory Pettaway, 20, of Chesterfield; Rashad Antonio Mayfield, 23, of Glen Allen; and Jaden Lamont Phillips, 19, of Richmond appeared before the judge virtually Friday morning and were ordered held without bond. The judge also barred all three from having any contact with one another. Their next court date is scheduled for July 17. All three are currently being held at the Pamunkey Regional Jail in Caroline County.

The fourth suspect, 18-year-old Kennady Jade Lambert of Hopewell, was not part of Friday's proceedings. Lambert is being held at the Richmond City Justice Center and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, April 6.

All four face second-degree murder charges in McComber's death. U.S. Marshals, working alongside Caroline County investigators and Henrico police, arrested the group Thursday following a search warrant executed at a Brilland Court home in Henrico County linked to Mayfield. Inside, investigators found McComber's identification, a credit card, and shell casings. Mayfield was taken into custody during a traffic stop on Broad Street, where marshals seized a handgun from his waistband. Pettaway, Lambert, and Phillips were arrested at the Pointe at River City Apartments on Kenway Avenue in Henrico.

McComber was last seen leaving his Richmond Street residence in Hopewell on March 25. His disappearance was reported two days later. His silver Chevy Silverado was tracked to multiple locations before being recovered by Virginia Beach police on March 28, and investigators said forensic processing of the truck yielded critical leads in identifying the suspects. His body was recovered March 31 from a marshy area near a pond along the Caroline-King and Queen county line, discovered by an ATV rider on private property.

Caroline County authorities said they do not believe the killing was random and that McComber knew all four suspects. The sheriff's department said it is not looking for additional suspects, though deputies have warned that further charges are possible as the investigation continues.

Investigators are also looking into a separate homicide in Caroline County: a woman's body was discovered four days before McComber's, and authorities believe the two cases may be connected. No charges have been filed in the woman's death.

McComber had been a competitive swimmer at Hopewell High School. His death prompted an outpouring of grief across the Hopewell community in the days following his disappearance and the discovery of his body.