Student facing murder charge released under bond
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on June 2, 2006 1:47 PM
A Wayne County teenager charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a classmate has been released from jail under a $30,000 secured bond.
Timothy W. Alston Jr., 17, of White Oak Road, was charged Monday with the murder of John Paul Setliff, 17, of East Wayne Street in Fremont. The teens were students at Charles B. Aycock High School.
Alston
Alston's bond was posted Wednesday.
Judge Edward McCormick of Lillington also ordered during a hearing in Wayne County District Court that Alston have an additional $20,000 unsecured bond.
Alston was released to the Day Reporting Center pre-trial release program and ordered to report periodically in person. He also was ordered to be home between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., to seek a job and not possess a firearm.
Alston was represented by lawyer Glenn Barfield of Goldsboro. Assistant District Attorney Tom Perlungher represented the state at the hearing.
Detective Sgt. Rick Farfour, the lead investigator in the case, said alcohol and drugs were factors in the shooting.
"I wish there was a way to let all teens know what happened in this case and realize the dangers of alcohol, drugs and guns. People aren't supposed to die at 17," Sheriff's Capt. George Raecher said today.
Setliff was wounded at about 2:35 a.m. while sitting in a car with Alston and two other teens on Albert Drive, off Perkins Road, in The Reach subdivision. He was taken by ambulance to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He died at about 8 a.m., officers said.
Alston was charged originally with felony assault with a deadly weapon while inflicting serious injury. When Setliff died, the charge was upgraded to murder.
Local law enforcement officers have called the death a tragedy.
Sheriff's Sgt. Sherwood Daly and Pikeville Police Officer Chris Jackson responded to a shots-fired call and found the victim, Alston and two others in the car. The witnesses said Alston was twirling the gun on his finger when it went off.