| September
2, 2005 |
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| Suspects
Identified in Killing of Freedom Student |
| One Jailed For Murder, Detectives Looking
for Another |
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| A Burke County detective stopped a vehicle near
Hildebran late yesterday afternoon, and the traffic stop was the catalyst in
breaking open a murder investigation
which began earlier that morning. |
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| Authorities were investigating the death of Noua
Xiong, 16, of 1095 Conley Road, Morganton. Xiong was found dead inside a
wrecked vehicle on Mount Olive Church Road around 9:22 PM on Wednesday
night. |
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| The death was originally thought to be traffic
accident-related, but circumstances changed when the medical examiner checked
Xiong's body at Grace Hospital on Thursday morning and discovered what appeared
to be bullet holes, according to Burke County Sheriff John T. McDevitt. An
autopsy conducted Friday morning confirmed that Xiong had been shot twice. |
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Prior to the autopsy,
McDevitt directed his criminal investigations division to work the case as a
homicide.
Around 5:00 PM, Det. Sgt. Robert Beall stopped a black Honda
Civic near exit 118 on Interstate 40, after learning that a car of that
description could be involved in the case.
The driver, Tony Tu Ly
(left), 21, of 1107 1st Street Place SE, Conover,
was arrested after Beall located a |
handgun inside the car that had been reported stolen
from Conover. The gun is believed to be the weapon that killed Xiong, McDevitt
said. |
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| According to information McDevitt said his
investigators uncovered, Xiong and Ly had made plans to drag race on Mount
Olive Church Road on Wednesday night, after Xiong left his job at Hardees on
Burkemont Avenue. |
| |
Detectives believe that Ly
and another man, Ker Vue (right), 26, of 6287
Bollinger Loop, Morganton, went to Mount Olive Church Road and met Xiong to
begin the drag race.
"It was just before the race started that something
went wrong," McDevitt said. "We have not established a clear-cut motive, but we
believe that Noua Xiong was shot by Vue, who was starting the race with a
handgun. It appears Xiong drove away with fatal gunshot wounds and subsequently
wrecked." |
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|
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| Ly was jailed on murder charges last night, and
a murder warrant was issued on Vue, who has yet to be located. Detectives
spent most of the night and early morning hours looking for him without
success. |
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| Vue, who is around 5'4" and 110 pounds, was
reportedly a member of a gang in California before moving to North Carolina,
according to what CID Lt. Becky Brendle said she learned from a member of his
family. |
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| His arrest record shows convictions in
California for possession manufacturing or sale of dangerous weapons, and
possession of stolen goods. |
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| "We consider him to be armed and dangerous,"
Brendle said. "If anyone has any information as to his whereabouts, they
should contact authorities immediately rather than approaching him." |
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| Xiong, a Freedom High School student, was
described Thursday as a good student who was in the top third of his class.
Detectives spent much of Thursday afternoon at the school speaking with his
friends and acquaintances. One detective said almost all of the students spoke
highly of Xiong's character. |
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| McDevitt and Brendle praised Beall, stating his
initiative to stop Ly's vehicle made the dominos fall into place. |
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| "I'm proud of our detective division," Brendle
said. "Yesterday at noon we had absolutely nothing to go on, but in several
hours time, our investigators uncovered enough information to charge two
suspects with murder." |
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| Also assisting in the case are agents with the
N.C. State Bureau of Investigation. |
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| ************************************************************** |
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