On February 4th, 2020 deputies responded to a 911 call just before noon in the Shawtown community of Lillington, N.C. Upon arrival at the residence, they found the body of a deceased 25-year-old female.
This was not the first time deputies had responded to a call from the same location. Just the previous night, they had responded to a call for domestic violence in which a 26-year-old male resident claimed to have been physically assaulted. However, no evidence was found to support the claim. After discovering the deceased female the next day, they were able to locate and take that man into custody. He has been charged with first-degree murder. They are still attempting to locate his vehicle, which they believe was removed from the home either the night before or the morning of the assault.
The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office believes there was a long history of domestic violence between the couple who lived at the address. The man was found to be the Defendant in an expired domestic violence protective order from June 2017. Though not married, the couple lived together.
A conviction of first-degree murder in the state of North Carolina may carry a sentence of life in prison or even death by lethal injection. It is considered a Class A Felony. No defendant who is facing a charge of this magnitude should ever walk into a courtroom alone. When life or death is literally at stake, representation by experienced and skilled legal counsel is of utmost importance.