| September
28, 2002 |
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Co-Worker Charged with Murder in Green's Death |
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The body of a man reported
missing from his Burke County mobile home was found in Wilkes County Saturday
morning, and investigators have charged a co-worker with his
murder.
Valiente Varon Greene (right), 29,
of 7821 West U.S. Highway 421, Wilkesboro has confessed to killing Douglas Ed
Green, 24, of Timerill Trailer Park on Highway 18 North in Morganton, said
Burke County Sheriff John T. McDevitt. |
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| Green's body was located in a wooded ravine
approximately 1/2 mile from Valiente Greene's home. McDevitt said Greene led
investigators to the body shortly after his confession. |
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| Doug
Green was reported missing by his brother, Michael on Thursday morning.
Michael Green told investigators his brother was last seen on Tuesday night by
Valiente Greene. Doug Green and Valiente Greene worked together at Kincaid
Furniture in Lenoir and were reportedly best friends. |
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Douglas Ed Green |
McDevitt said a
search of the missing man's mobile home was conducted Thursday by the N.C.
State Bureau of Investigation's forensics specialists, after blood and other
evidence found in the home was indicative that foul play may have
occurred. Green's water bed had been drained inside the mobile home, and
the liner was missing.
Detectives believe they recovered the water bed
liner late Friday from the Caldwell County Landfill. Investigators think
Valiente Greene may have discarded it into a dumpster after the
murder. |
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| McDevitt said detectives contacted Valiente
Greene around 10:30 on Friday night after developing him as their prime
suspect, and Greene agreed to meet with them at the Caldwell County Sheriff's
Office. Greene confessed to the murder around 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning,
McDevitt stated. |
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| According to Burke County Sheriff's Office
Detective Robert Beall, Valiente Greene told investigators he got into an
argument with Doug Green as Green sat on the water bed inside his home. The
argument intensified and Valiente reportedly struck Doug in the head with a
clawhammer. |
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| Beall said Greene told detectives he panicked
after discovering Doug was not breathing. He wrapped Doug's body in blankets
and placed it into the back of his pickup, then drove to Wilkes County where
the body was discarded. |
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| "The truck did not have a tailgate on it, and
there were two tags being displayed," Beall said. "It's a wonder the body was
not detected by law enforcement during his drive back to Wilkes County." |
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| McDevitt and deputies found Green's body around
dawn in a ravine near Valiente Greene's home. The body had been covered with
lime and other debris, McDevitt said. He stated the body will be sent to
Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem for an autopsy. |
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| Valiente Greene was transported back to Burke
County, where he was charged with murder and is in the Burke County Jail under
no bond. He will have a first court appearance on Monday. |
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| "He did the right thing by cooperating with us
in the end," McDevitt said. "While Doug Green was missing and the investigation
was in progress, he was living a lie by sitting with Doug's family and offering
to help in any way he could, knowing full well that Doug's body was in that
ravine." |
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| McDevitt praised the work of his detectives, as
well as the cooperation received from other law enforcement agencies. |
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| "We had no less than six investigators working
this case around the clock from Thursday afternoon, until the body was
recovered this morning," he said. "Their dedication to serve and their
professionalism paid off in the end." |
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| Agencies assisting in the case included the N.C.
State Bureau of Investigation, Wilkes County Sheriff's Office, Wilkes County
Rescue Squad, and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office. |
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| ************************************************************** |
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