Goldsboro man appears in court after death of daughter, abuse of son
WRAL News learned Monday a Goldsboro man charged with the murder of a 4-year-old girl was her father.
Umoja Bryant, 32, was arrested Friday for child abuse and murder of his daughter, Sapphira Washington, and child abuse against his 5-year-old son, Umoja Bryant Jr.
According to court documents, Washington had cuts to her liver and injuries to her spleen, while Bryant Jr. had cuts on his head and bruises all over his body.
Bryant appeared in court Monday, where he requested a court-appointed attorney. He currently remains in jail on no bond.
Days away from court
WRAL News learned Monday that Bryant faced various charges for years, and was days away from going to court on another charge.
Most were dismissed, but last year, Bryant was found guilty for being a felon in possession of a firearm in January 2022.
Bryant was in the middle of serving a three-year supervised release after his release from prison.
Last month, however, the federal government filed a motion to revoke Bryant's supervised release, citing various charges, including breaking and entering and assaulting a woman.
The hearing was scheduled to take place March 21. Now, Bryant is back behind bars facing a first-degree murder charge.
WRAL News reached out to the Goldsboro Police Department and the Wayne County Department of Social Services to learn if Bryant had been reported for child abuse in the past.
Goldsboro police declined to comment and WRAL News is awaiting a response from Wayne County DSS.
