Suspect in court today
By Kenneth Fine and John Joyce
Published in News on December 5, 2012 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Jujuan Cox, center, is escorted into Wayne County Courthouse Courtroom No. 5 early this morning. Cox, 28, faces two murder charges for allegedly shooting two people to death Sunday evening and, if convicted, could receive the death penalty.
The man who allegedly shot two people to death Sunday evening off Old Mount Olive Highway appeared in a Wayne County courtroom this morning.
Jujuan Cox, 28, of 106 Evelyn Circle, faced Superior Court Judge Arnold Jones and was told that he could receive the death penalty if convicted of the murders of Jamaal Kornegay and Nakiea Garner.
Cox, who was arrested in a Smithfield motel after a 36-hour manhunt, was void of emotion as he was escorted in, and later out, of Courtroom No. 5.
He spoke only when he waived his right to court-appointed counsel -- sources say he is in the process of retaining local attorney Charles Gurley, but has yet to work out a payment arrangement.
Cox's journey to the Wayne County Courthouse began Sunday when, at 9:45 p.m., local lawmen were dispatched to 1172B Old Mount Olive Hwy., in response to a report of shots fired.
When they arrived at the scene, they discovered Kornegay and Ms. Garner shot to death. Two others, Leonard Darden and Tre Stokes, were injured in the shooting.
Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders and members of his department worked the scene through the night and, after 2 a.m. Monday, had secured a search warrant for Cox's home.
But when they arrived, he was not there.
Winders said Cox was located Monday evening in the Lane Tree Golf Club area, but fled and eluded arrest, so officials issued a Code Red warning for residents in the neighborhood -- urging them to lock their doors.
Cox was not seen again until early Tuesday morning when members of the Wayne and Johnston County SWAT teams arrested him at a Motel 8 in Smithfield.