Grand jury indicts three on murder charges
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on April 6, 2005 1:47 PM
Three area residents have been indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury on second-degree murder charges.
Four others will face armed robbery charges.
The grand jurors handed up 64 true bills of indictment during their monthly meeting. They could not act on four bills because witnesses were not present.
Those indicted for second-degree murder include Naisha Supree Lattner, 25, of Courtyard Circle; Tavaris Kinte Woresly, 28, of North Jefferson Avenue, and Gloria Vasquez, 19, of Cleveland Drive, Mount Olive.
Ms. Lattner is accused in the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend, Keith Shinholster, Sept. 19, 2004, in their apartment.
Police, fire and rescue personnel responded to the home after receiving a call reporting a man had fallen on a knife. After police and the State Bureau of Investigation looked into the death, they determined that it was a murder. Ms. Lattner was arrested Oct. 13.
Woresly is charged in the fatal shooting of LaTerance Gooding, 30, of 200 Hilda Place on Aug. 22, 2004, after an argument in the 1100 block of North Jefferson Avenue.
Police answered a shots-fired call at a parking lot near Jefferson Court Apartments and launched an investigation. The information they obtained from witnesses led to Woresly's arrest within 45 minutes. Woresly also was wounded.
Ms. Vasquez is charged in the death of her newborn infant Oct. 5, 2004. The baby was found by a cleaning crew in an empty mobile home on Grainger Place where Ms. Vasquez had lived.
Ms. Vasquez had told Mount Olive police that the baby was born dead. But a medical examiner's report said the child had breathed.
Robbery indictments
Those indicted for armed robbery were Travis Devone Graham, 18, of Everittsville Road, Dudley; MacKenzie Cory Lofton, 21, of Church Street, Mount Olive; Brandon Conrad Billups, 19, of Southern Drive, Dudley, and Brianne Leigh Craft, 23, of Maple Street.
Graham and Lofton are charged in connection with the robbery of a store on Potts Road Jan. 8. Officers reported two men entered the store; one went to the bathroom, and the other displayed a handgun. One of the suspects left the bathroom and grabbed the cash while the other allegedly threatened the owner and a woman. Graham was arrested Jan. 13, and Flores was arrested Jan. 11.
Billups is accused in the robbery of James Dustin Grady of $225 on Nov. 26. Billups also was indicted for a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was arrested Dec. 13.
Ms. Craft was charged with brandishing a knife and robbing Mohamed Layachi of $227 on Dec. 13.
Other indictments
The grand jury also returned 18 true bills of indictment on such property charges as burglary, breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods. Thirteen true bills were handed up on drug charges.
Eight people were indicted on fraud charges including forgery, uttering and false pretense. Six were indicted on assault charges, five on weapons offenses and three each on traffic violations and sex offenses.
Four people were indicted as habitual felons. If they are convicted of a fourth, non-overlapping offense, then their sentences would be lengthened significantly.
Several people were indicted in more than one crime category.