WASHINGTON COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Wallace “Brandon” Jones and Leroy Spruill were friends going out for a night at a bar in Washington County. That night ended in a conviction for murder and a sentence of life, plus forty years.
But after more than 25 years behind bars for the murder of Frank Swain -- a crime of which they insist they are innocent -- Jones and Spruill are free from prison. “My momma died for this. My daddy died for this. My whole family died because they had us sitting in prison up there knowing that we hadn’t done nothing," said Jones. The two men are still adjusting to modern-day life. “I’ve mowed a little grass and been to the beach with a friend of mine,” Spruill said. "It’s really good to get back into this, but a lot has changed.” Alongside the pleasures of freedom comes the trauma of decades in prison. “I’m going through battles that normal people wouldn’t, like how to use the phone, trying to get some sleep at night," said Jones. All along, the two men have stayed consistent in their claims of innocence. “They wanted us to take a guilty plea,” Jones said. “And me and him wouldn’t ever plead guilty,” Spruill added. It was a decision that led to decades in prison, but one that Jones says had to be done. “I stuck to my guns, I told the truth," said Jones. "I could have easily lied and said he had done it. They wanted me to do that. I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to sleep with myself, you know?” The executive director of the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, Chris Mumma, explained the plea deal that got the men out of prison. “In the end, they both said, ‘No, we can’t. We can’t get up and swear that we did something that we didn’t do. That would be perjury.’” Instead, Jones and Spruill took an Alford plea, which means they are not admitting guilt, but acknowledge the presumed convicting evidence. Back in society, the fight for total exoneration for Jones and Spruill is not over. “We want them to have justice in addition to freedom,” Mumma said. One month after their release, the two men are still battling with the return to normal. They are working and relying on the kindness of their community and families. The North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence says it will continue to fight for them, as well as the more than five hundred inmates submitting claims for their services each year. The center became aware of Jones and Spruill’s case in 2001 and began investigating. They urge anyone with information on that December night in 1993 to come forward.
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GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A suspected porch pirate and her accomplice have been arrested by Greenville police and charged with misdemeanor larceny. One day after one of the thefts, a neighbor found evidence of the crime.
Stephen Nilsen and his wife were driving through their neighborhood when they spotted a cardboard box on the side of the road. “We saw the address was one of our neighbors here,” Nilsen said. “We saw the article yesterday about the porch pirates stealing packages.” The couple then utilized the same technology that helped identify the suspected porch pirates in the first place: a doorbell camera. “We went ahead and drove it around and talked to them through their Ring doorbell,” Nilsen said. “We were letting them know we found it and were dropping it off.” As for the package, the box was empty. Nilsen says he hopes the evidence could be used in some kind of insurance or refund claim for the neighbor who is missing their ordered package. Investigators are still working to recover the stolen packages. Kristen Hunter with the Greenville Police Department said the doorbell camera was instrumental in solving the case so quickly. “Having that video evidence, should a crime occur, it’s essential,” Hunter said. “It’s crucial in cases like this in order to solve them and prove who actually did this.” Greenville police attempt to catch porch pirates red-handed by using decoy packages fit with GPS tracking devices. “We hope by advertising... that serves as a deterrent as well for those who may be looking to commit a crime,” Hunter said. Hunter also suggests to people that they should try to be home to receive their packages as soon as they are delivered. Another safeguard is changing the delivery address to a place of work or utilizing package pick-up lockers depending on the delivery service. JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A crowd at the Freedom Fountain in Jacksonville on Sunday called for the support of a marine officer who was relieved of duty after he was seen in a viral video questioning military leaders for the attacks at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members.
One of Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller’s Facebook post said “Colonel Emmel, please have the MPs waiting for me at 0800 on Monday. I’m ready for jail.” Cynthia Lacorte, who organized the protest, said she was happy with the turnout of the rally as some people held signs and prayed. “We have a great military community here full of marines and sailors and their families and we love each other and support each other,” Lacorte said. “We want to let the base know that we’re not happy with Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller being held in jail on no charges whenever we have 13 dead.” Scheller is currently being held in pretrial confinement at the Regional Brig for Marine Corps Installations East at Camp Lejeune. He has not yet been charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Lacorte said she wants to be a voice for those afraid to share. “There’s a lot of people in the community upset about this,” she said. “A lot of DOD employees and a lot of active duty cannot come out and speak out. I’ve had a lot of people thank me for being a voice when they cannot.” Also in attendance was Rep. Phil Shepard (R-Onslow) who said he felt it was his responsibility to support his constituents’ right to protest. “I’m glad to be here and be with them,” Shepard said. “I’m glad that we, in America, can still protest, and peacefully, as you see this group is doing, without causing any property damage.” Protesters said they will continue to show up at the Jacksonville Freedom Fountain every weekend until Scheller is released.
CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Neighbors described Friday night’s shooting in Craven County that sent two people to the hospital, including a deputy.
“At first we thought he [Westrup] was out and about, because there were police officers going in the middle field over here,” resident Brianna Manzella said. “His neighbor, I messaged her asking if they were okay. They ran across the street because their house was getting shot at.” Officials said Deputy Zachary Bellingham was shot when Robert Westrup opened fire at the home on Crooked Run Drive. Westrup received a single gunshot wound in the initial exchange of gunfire with deputies after he shot Bellingham, according to officials Manzella said this wasn’t the first time she was frightened by Westrup. “It’s definitely scary,” Manzella said. “The day he came to the house, my husband was home from work because I had to pick up my son from school. My keys were in the van when he came. He was out here, and I ran out and grabbed my keys because I didn’t know what he was going to do. So, I called the sheriff, but they said that he wouldn’t give his name at first and he didn’t say that he lived around here. He was in a winter jacket, pants, and everything. And it was the middle of the summer.” Parents were on high alert Saturday as Friday’s incident brought more attention to the safety of children in the neighborhood. “The kids were just playing a little bit ago and I was like “Oh they already let the kids out,” Manzella said. “My husband was like “Well he’s gone,” I’m like “That’s true,” I’m still nervous to even come out.” Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes praised the combined efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies to take Westrup into custody. “We called in our SRT Team,” Hughes said. “So, I had a lot of cooperation from the surrounding agencies, and I can’t thank them enough, they really came to support us there and that’s why we were able to bring this thing to a resolution somewhat quickly and there were no more injuries. So, for that I’m very thankful.” Hughes was echoed by Manzella. “When the SWAT team got here ... over the loudspeaker was like “Put your hands up and everything,” Manzella said. “So, they were definitely kind of frantic, but they took it very well. Everything was very well executed. This world today is just crazy. It’s scary to raise my kids in it.” Craven County Sheriff’s Office said no officer discharged their weapon after the shooting and no further incidents occurred after Westrup was taken into custody. |
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