Indictments
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on March 3, 2004 1:57 PM
Two people have been indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury on charges of first-degree murder and weapons offenses in connection with last summer's shooting death of a Goldsboro man.
Dwight Eugene Sloan, 22, of Decoy Drive, Pikeville, and Kolanda Kay Wooten, 18, of Courtyard Circle have been indicted in the death of Jamaal Rashaud Pearsall of 1721-A Maple St. The shooting took place Aug. 24 in the 1700 block of Edgerton Street.
Sloan also was indicted on two counts of discharge of a firearm into occupied property. Ms. Wooten was charged with one count of the same offense.
Goldsboro police believe that the shooting followed a conflict between the two men that had escalated over several days. Investigators said Sloan and some friends confronted Pearsall that afternoon near Pearsall's home.
Shots reportedly were fired on Maple Street and Jefferson Avenue. Pearsall then jumped in a car and tried to flee, but it crashed into a parked vehicle near the intersection. Police found Pearsall's body in the car with one gunshot wound to the chest.
Investigators canvassed the neighborhood and developed Sloan as a suspect, they said. He surrendered to police later that night.
About two weeks later, Ms. Wooten was arrested and charged with taking part in the shooting.
Assault indictment
Samuel Devon Cannon, 26, of Courtyard Circle, has been indicted on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill while inflicting serious injury.
Cannon was accused of shooting Cornelius Edwards of Quail Drive in the 1200 block of Courtyard Circle on July 24. Edwards was found in an apartment doorway. Edwards told police that he was talking to people and a man approached them, pulled out a shotgun and shot him.
Cannon also was charged with shooting Edwards a second time on Sept. 9, while the victim was visiting at an apartment in the Lincoln Homes project. However, the second charge of assault was dismissed Feb. 13.
Other indictments
The grand jurors also handed up 73 other true bills of indictment during their monthly meeting. They could not act on one bill, because a witness was not present.
Twenty-two people were indicted on such property charges as breaking and entering, larceny, burglary and possession of stolen goods. Thirteen people were indicted on such fraud charges as forgery, uttering, false pretense, larceny from an employer and obtaining prescription medicine by fraud.
The jurors handed up 11 true bills on drug charges, eight on felony traffic violations, seven on assault charges including child abuse, six on weapons offenses and three on sex charges. Four people also were indicted as habitual felons.