Lawmen probe three homicides
By Ethan Smith and Steve Herring
Published in News on July 24, 2016 1:45 AM
The Goldsboro Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office are investigating three killings that happened in Goldsboro and the county in less than 12 hours between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Three people, one in Goldsboro and two in the county, ranging in age from 19 to 53, were slain -- two as the result of gunshots and a third following a fight.
Atiya Maddox, 19, was pronounced dead at Wayne Memorial Hospital after reportedly being taken to the hospital in a private vehicle following a shoot-out between two vehicles just after 1 p.m. Friday.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Olivia Lane and Slaughter Street, according to a press release from the Goldsboro Police Department.
In the second incident Randy Grady, 53, of Greg Drive, died at approximately 6:30 p.m. after being involved in a fight.
The third death happened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning after Joshua Omar Forbes, 25, of Day Circle, was shot at a home in the Mar-Mac community.
No arrests have been made in any of the killings.
Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West confirmed Ms. Maddox was struck by gunfire during a shoot-out between two vehicles, but said the department does not currently have a description of either vehicle involved in the incident.
Maj. Anthony Carmon with the Goldsboro Police Department said investigators believe the vehicle Ms. Maddox was taken to the hospital in is the same vehicle in which she was shot.
Carmon said shell casings had been recovered from the area where authorities believe the shooting happened.
There are no details available on whether or not the occupants of the two vehicles knew each other or if the shooting was random, nor are there details available on what caused people in the two vehicles to begin shooting at each other.
"Nothing we can confirm," Carmon said.
Everlena Eason is a close friend of Ms. Maddox's mother, and said getting the news of Ms. Maddox's death was tragic.
"It was horrible, it was devastating," Ms. Eason said. "It hit home. This (her mother) is like my sister. It could have been my child. I've got five children. It could have been one of them."
Ms. Eason said, given the recent rash of violence and murders in Goldsboro, the community must do something to put a stop to the violence. She attended a community peace walk in downtown Goldsboro Friday evening to urge the community to take a stand against violence in Goldsboro.
"This baby is gone. She's not coming back," Ms. Eason said. We've got to do something."
There are not many details available about the two deaths in the county involving Grady and Forbes that happened at the start of the weekend.
According to a press release, sheriff's deputies responded to a call at Greg Drive around 6:30 p.m. Friday concerning a non-responsive person.
Deputies said Grady and an acquaintance, whose identity has not been released, had gotten into a fight. Grady collapsed afterward. The cause of death was not specified by authorities but it does not appear any weapons were used in the fight, deputies said.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday, deputies were called to an unidentified business on U.S. 117 South in reference to someone who had been shot.
Deputies said that Forbes had gone to a home on Bryan Boulevard, where he got into a confrontation with another person.
A gunshot was heard and Forbes then ran back to the vehicle he had arrived in and said that he had been shot, according to a press release on the incident.
The people in the car started to take Forbes to the hospital, but stopped at the unidentified business for help, which is when Grady died.
Forbes was pronounced dead by Wayne County EMS.
An autopsy will be performed in both cases by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, deputies said.
Major Tom Effler called both homicides "very active investigations," but said that no additional information is being released at this time. He said the business where Forbes died is not being identified because that is not where the shooting occurred.
The investigation into Ms. Maddox's death is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Investigator Zwirblia at 919-580-4242.
Anyone with information about the homicides in the county is also asked to call Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255 or text at 919-222-4230.
Callers will remain anonymous and if your information leads to a felony arrest you will be given a cash reward for the information.