David Morton, 42, a suspect in the 1996 bludgeoning death of his wife, was recently charged with DWI and other counts after crashing his vehicle near River Bend in Craven County. He was charged by the N.C. State Highway Patrol with driving while impaired, driving while license revoked, fictitious tag, improper inspection, no insurance, left of center and texting while [...]

- Authorities have made an arrest in the murder of Jerry Pickett who had his throat slit in September. Crime Stoppers had received some tips about drug activity involving Pickett, but he was dead before detectives could follow up on the information… – The N.C. State Medical Examiner’s Office has released the autopsy report of Anneka [...]

State v. Jarrell Wilson is in the history books and Wilson is in prison for the rest of his life. ADA Kelly Neal and defense attorney Wally Paramore presented some of the best closing arguments I’ve seen. (An interview appointment kept me from seeing most of ADA Matt Silva’s argument.) Paramore showing how Christopher Watts could [...]

Holly Ridge police – the masters of DWI checkpoints – had another one this past weekend. The roadblock was the first in a new tri-county inititive. (And yes, I know N.C. 24 doesn’t run through Holly Ridge. They were on U.S. 17. I make some of the stupidest mistakes sometimes that just make me want [...]

Thursday was a weird day for me. And that is saying something. I started out covering the double murder trial of a former Marine mixed up in a harry situation (I know, that is stretching it, but the other two fit). Jarrell Wilson: Later, I interviewed Harry Brown about being tapped as the state Senate’s majority [...]

Testimony continues in the double murder trial of a former Camp Lejeune Marine corporal. Dr. William Kelly testified that Christopher Watts was shot in the face with the bullet going through the jaw, hitting the spinal cord and lodging in the neck. An autopsy photo of Watts’ skull is at the bottom of this post so don’t scroll past the [...]

Testimony is underway Thursday in the double murder trial of Jarrell Wilson. All around Renaissance Man Mike McHugh sat in court for a little bit Wednesday while I did some running around on other stories. Here is his write up for two witnesses that testified: Jacksonville Police Department officer, Brian Pacilli testified Wednesday afternoon in the Jarrell Wilson first-degree [...]

Three $20 bills. That’s what witnesses say Gabe Ape and Chris Watts died for. But I think it was all about proving who was the tougher guy. Refering to Jerrell Wilson’s gun, Ape told Wilson “if you got it, squeeze it.” His answer was a bullet. Wilson’s attorney, Jacksonville lawyer Wally Paramore, alluded during his [...]

- Open arguments today in Jarrell Wilson’s double murder trial. Assistant District Attorney Kelly Neal has first chair for the state. Last time I saw Neal in court he successfully prosecuted a man who drowned his girlfriend in her bathtub. That case’s turning point was the revelation of the defendant’s cellphone use near the scene of the [...]

I covered a story late last week about District Attorney Elect Ernie Lee seeking an appeal in the dismissal of murder charges against a Duplin County man accused of shooting a pregnant woman causing her to loose her twins. The law is murky in North Carolina; it is based on old English common law from the 1600s. [...]

There is almost always extra information a reporter has left over when a story is complete. Sometimes it is totally unrelevent, sometimes the information is relevent, but there just isn’t space for it. Even the best, most well-rounded reports have to leave information out because there just isn’t room. I wrote three articles last week [...]

- Today is Cesar Laurean’s birthday. In 2007, he spent his birthday at home. In 2008, he spent his birthday in a Mexican jail. In 2009, he spent his birthday in the Onslow County Jail. This year he spent his birthday in the Pasquotank Correctional Institute. He will spend every birthday for the rest of his life behind [...]

Just to let y’all know, some spammers hacked a bunch of websites, including this one, which is why the sight looks jacked. Hopefully the tech guys fix it, otherwise it means a lot of typing for me…

- Detectives are tracking down ISP information from Facebook in connection to last month’s alleged online shooting threats made about faculty at Jacksonville High School. I should have something on this next week…  – The Hatfield/McCoy…um…Littleton/Price feud continues weeks after William Littleton has been locked away for murder. The ill feelings on Gibson Branch Road are so strong [...]

- Mary Lauterbach is upset with prosecutors for exonerating Christina Laurean in her daughter’s death, according to a reliable source in the D.A.’s Office. Mary has a wrongful death lawsuit to think about, but she should realize that the D.A. can’t just let suspicion hang over someone’s head forever. It is the D.A.’s job to [...]

- As I posted earlier, the information changes in the Hulsman homicide flew like crazy beginning Tuesday. The main thing that changed was the spelling of the poor woman’s name. At first the Sheriff’s Office reported her name as Hulsman. Then incident reports and a recheck of her mailbox had here name as Hulsmann. Then her obit was [...]

An Army sergeant who killed a pregnant college and left her body in a motel room bathtub has pleaded guilty. Read the details here. Pantino:                                                     Touma:                    This was one of several cases of a military woman being killed by a military man she was involved with in 2008. The stories captured national attention and made people wonder what [...]

I echo the sentiment of Linda Hulsman’s brother. He is dealing with the loss of his sister, who died in Onslow County, while he is in New York. He just couldn’t believe she was killed for some medicine she had. I think a lot of folks agree. The updated story is soon to be posted [...]

- Good thing no one else was seriously injured when a Marine shot his finger off while cleaning his gun earlier this week. – Some say the homeless problem in the city is getting out of control. Earlier this week, police caught a homeless man using an outlet behind a business to charge his cell phone. – [...]

Of course a homicide happens when I’m busy writing three of the several election stories we will have in the newspaper tomorrow.  If you have voted and still need an election night fix, check these two local political blogs:  In this one, liberal Democrat Thomas Brock tells us why he didn’t vote for Martin Aragona Jr.  And [...]