Three charged in Oct. 31 murder
By John Joyce
Published in News on November 14, 2014 1:46 PM
News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Maj. Alton King leads Rahmel Phillips, 24, out of the Goldsboro Police Department Thursday night. Phillips is one of six suspects in the Oct. 31 murder of Shanekqua Thompson, 21.
Cequon Aredale Phillips
Joshua M. Collins
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Anthony Graham
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Alquon Hill
Full SizeThree Kinston men have been charged and three more are being sought in connection with the Oct. 31 murder of a Goldsboro woman.
Goldsboro Police Department officials said the death is the result of an ongoing feud.
"There is an ongoing dispute between a group from Kinston and a group here," Maj. Al King said.
Shanekqua Adriana Thompson, 21, of North Herman Street, died when the Chrysler Town and Country minivan she was riding in was chased and shot several times during the early morning hours of Halloween, according to a GPD press release.
Deonte Tykeem Morrison, 20, of Dudley, was struck in the leg and arm during the attack and was later found by GPD at Sampson County Hospital.
Since the time of the fatal shooting, the GPD Criminal Investigations Division has been conducting countless interviews and following up on leads, the release said.
As a result, six warrants were issued, leading to three arrests in Kinston at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Rahmel Maurice Phillips, 24, and Cequon Aredale Phillips, 22, both of 2524 Saphire Place, and Joshua M. Collins, 24, of 2315 Barfield Road, are each charged with a single open count of murder and are currently being held in the Wayne County Jail without bond.
Still wanted on murder charges are Anthony Graham, 30, 2217 Hawthorne Ave., Alquon Hill, 24, 2709 Hodges Road, and Davine Carr, 20, 710 A E. King St., all of Kinston.
King said the fatal shooting was another in series of ongoing violent altercations, including a shootout days earlier in which the Waffle House and McDonald's on Wayne Memorial Drive were both struck by gunfire while occupied by customers and staff. A residence was also struck that morning, Oct. 28, as the factions chased one another throughout Goldsboro taking shots at each other.
The dispute carried over to the early morning of Oct. 31 when, at 3;08 a.m., residents of Sixth Street called to report several shots fired.
Patrol officers responded and found the minivan at the intersection of Sixth and Humphrey streets. It had run off the road with its front end coming to rest in a wooded area.
The vehicle had been struck several times by gunfire in the rear and passenger side. Its windows were shot out, its doors left ajar and the airbags deployed.
Ms. Thompson was found inside.
Shell casings of various caliber bullets were recovered along Sixth and Humphrey streets.
King said the fact these shootings are related and involve two particular groups of individuals does not necessarily mean the shooting was gang-related.
"We are looking into that possibility, but there is nothing right now to tell me that this was gang-motivated," he said.
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said the men will be housed separately in the Wayne County Jail, because of the nature of their crime, not specifically to keep them away from any other individuals.
King said to his knowledge, none of the Goldsboro faction of the two-county conflict are currently in jail.
The Kinston Police Department and the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office also were instrumental to making the three arrests, King said.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the three remaining suspects is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255, or text tips to 4230. Callers can remain anonymous, and information leading to a felony arrest is eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.