Police find on-the-run suspect in '08 murder
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on October 23, 2009 1:46 PM
A man accused of a September 2008 murder in Goldsboro was arrested in South Carolina after Goldsboro police tipped off authorities there, a police spokesman said.
James Sanders, 36, formerly of Brewington Drive, Dudley, is accused of shooting Eric Lamont Best to death on Sept. 24, 2008, police Sgt. Chad Calloway said today.
Lead Investigator Karen Powers received information about Sanders' whereabouts from Detective Michael Dawson of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, police said.
Powers then contacted authorities in Bennettsville, S.C., not far from the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, who then took Sanders into custody on Thursday.
Sanders' arrest took place without incident, and Investigator Powers drove to Bennettsville Thursday night to bring him back to Wayne County, police said.
Calloway said police still are not willing to release a possible motive for the shooting.
However, both Sanders and Best have lengthy criminal records, although police would not say if any prior arrests could be connected to the shooting.
"I can say that Mr. Sanders' criminal background is drug-related," Calloway said. "He has prior drug charges."
On the day of the shooting, police responded to a Franklin Street driveway, where they found Best mortally wounded, Calloway said.
Police have not released information about how many times Best was shot, but did say the weapon used was a handgun.
Sanders was also served with a warrant for failure to appear in court on an unrelated charge.