| February
24, 2002 |
| |
| Arrests
Made in Kathy Road Murder |
| |
Two persons have
been arrested in an early morning murder occurring at a Kathy Road convenience
store parking lot, but the person who actually killed 32-year-old Tyrone
Deloatch is on the lam, according to Sheriff John T.
McDevitt.
Authorities arrested James Edward Hall, 32, of 210 Nix Creek
Road, Marion around 6:50 p.m. Sunday night and charged him with murder. |
Murder suspect James Hall (middle) is
escorted into the Sheriff's Office by Det. Robert Beall, left, and Sheriff John
McDevitt, right |
|
Torree Benjamin |
Also arrested Sunday night for murder was
Torree Bryant Benjamin, 24, of 3782 Lipscomb Road in
Morganton. Authorities are searching for two other suspects, Jerry Lee
Brown, 24, of 1397 Highway 70 West, Morganton; and Tiffany Raquel Robinson, 24,
who's last known address is 102 Jones Street in Morganton. McDevitt stated the
two are on the run. |
|
| |
| Deloatch, of Jamestown Road in Morganton was
found lying near Kathy Road with a gunshot wound to the head. McDevitt
described the murder as an "execution type" hit. |
| |
| "Our investigation shows the four suspects lured
Deloatch to Kathy Road Grocery around 4 a.m. under other pretenses," McDevitt
said. "He arrived and exited the car in which he was a passenger in order to
speak with the suspects. The four suspects were in another car in the parking
lot." |
| |
| McDevitt said Jerry "Lee" Brown approached and
confronted Deloatch, then shot him point blank in the head. |
| |
| Deputies and detectives, along with McDevitt
converged on the scene after Deloatch's body was discovered. The case was
broken open around mid-afternoon when McDevitt was contacted by an alleged
witness to the shooting. |
| |
| "I was called by a person who witnessed the
entire incident," McDevitt said. I met with the eyewitness, who implicated the
four suspects." |
| |
| McDevitt said Deloatch had been interviewed
several times regarding some peripheral information in the
murder of Donovan
"Donnie" Novak Bryant, 40, of 4756 David Bryant Road, Morganton. Bryant was
shot to death on December 18th, 2001 after two men reportedly forced their way
into his residence, then robbed and shot him. McDevitt stopped short of calling
Deloatch the prime suspect in Bryant's murder, however. |
| |
| "We do feel that Deloatch's execution was
retaliation for Bryant's murder," McDevitt said. "The suspects had heard rumors
on the street that Deloatch was involved in Bryant's killing." |
| |
| One suspect in Deloatch's murder, Torree
Benjamin, was reportedly Donnie Bryant's cousin. |
| |
McDevitt emphasized that
Jerry Lee Brown (pictured right) and Tiffany
Robinson (picture not available) should be
considered armed and dangerous.
"We are in the process of entering both
suspects into the National Crime Information Center computers so all law
enforcement agencies can be on the lookout for them, McDevitt said." |
 |
|
| Brown is described as a 6'3" black male weighing
approximately 240 pounds. He has short black hair and brown eyes. Robinson, a
black female, is approximately 5'5", 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black
hair. |
| |
| Anyone with any information as to the
whereabouts of Jerry Lee Brown and Tiffany Robinson are urged to call the Burke
County Sheriff's Office at (828) 438-5500. |
| |
| ************************************************************** |
| |
| Other Recent Press Releases: |
| |
|
|
| |
| To view previous press releases, visit our
archives
file |
