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Thread: Prosecutors Pursue Death Penalty for Chauncey Askew in 2018 NC Murder of Trooper Kevin Conner

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Prosecutors Pursue Death Penalty for Chauncey Askew in 2018 NC Murder of Trooper Kevin Conner


    Trooper Kevin K. Conner


    Suspect in custody after North Carolina trooper shot, killed

    FAIR BLUFF, N.C. (WNCN/WECT) - A North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper is dead following a shooting Wednesday morning.

    According to Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker, the trooper was shot around 12:15 a.m. while conducting a traffic stop on U.S. 70 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County.

    The trooper died from his injuries on the way to a local hospital, Baker said.

    Larry Guyton with the Bladen County Sheriff's Office said the suspect was then surrounded in the woods near Fair Bluff following a manhunt before he was taken into custody around 4 a.m.

    A CBS 17 crew is headed to Columbus County.

    Zebulon and Chapel Hill police sent tweets expressing their condolences after learning of the news.

    This story will be updated as it develops.

    https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news...ted/1530349636
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    Flags lowered across NC to remember trooper killed on duty

    Flags across the state were lowered to half-staff Thursday morning in memory of Trooper Kevin Conner, the 65th State Highway Patrol officer to be killed in the line of duty.

    Conner was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop early Wednesday in Columbus County near the South Carolina line, authorities said.

    A visitation will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at South Columbus High School, at 40 Stallion Drive in Tabor City, with a funeral service to follow.

    The North Carolina Troopers Association has set up a fund to help Conner’s widow with funeral costs and family needs. Donations can be made by credit card online at www.nctroopers.org, or checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 840, Summerfield, NC 27358.

    Conner stopped a white GMC pickup that was speeding on U.S. Highway 701 south of Whiteville. The truck pulled over near the intersection with Sellers Town Road, and when Conner approached the vehicle, someone inside fired multiple shots, hitting Conner in the face and the torso, authorities said.

    The shooting was captured on the dashboard camera in his patrol car and on a security camera at a nearby convenience store, Columbus County District Attorney Jon David said.

    The gunman, later identified as Raheem Cole Dashanell Davis, fled the scene.

    A Good Samaritan happened upon a wounded Conner about an hour later and called 911, David said.

    An 11-year veteran of the Highway Patrol assigned to Columbus County and the father of two children, Conner was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

    Other troopers watched the shooting on Conner's dashcam to identify the suspect vehicle, and they found it in Fair Bluff – about 20 miles away – a short time later, David said. When the pickup stalled on some railroad tracks, Davis jumped out and ran, the prosecutor said, and officers apprehended him about 4 a.m. in some woods near the tracks.

    Investigators haven't found the gun used in the shooting.

    Davis, 20, of Chadbourn, was charged with first-degree murder and was being held without bond in the Columbus County jail. David said during a Wednesday afternoon court hearing that he hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.

    "This was cold-blooded, first-degree murder," David said.

    Davis, who authorities said was driving a stolen truck when Conner pulled him over, was on probation for a January 2017 conviction for firing a gun at a car in Chadbourn in June 2015, according to state Department of Public Safety records.

    Authorities used Conner's handcuffs on Davis during the court hearing.

    In 2011, Conner was hailed a hero when he extinguished a car fire while saving a driver involved in a crash in Whiteville.

    Highway Patrol troopers and other law enforcement officers accompanied Conner's body in a procession along U.S. 701 Wednesday evening.

    Flags at state facilities will remain at half-staff until Sunday evening.

    https://www.wral.com/flags-lowered-a...duty/17924416/
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    Administrator Helen's Avatar
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    Second suspect arrested in killing of Trooper Kevin Conner

    By CBS 17 News Staff

    RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of Trooper Kevin Conner, officials announced Tuesday.

    District Attorney Jon David, who serves in Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties, will hold a press conference at noon to provide more information on the arrest.

    WECT reports
    Chauncey Askew, 18, is the second suspect but it’s unclear what his role was in the shooting.

    Conner was shot Wednesday around 12:15 a.m. while conducting a traffic stop on U.S. 701 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County.

    The driver of a pickup truck, later identified as Raheem Davis, 20, of Chadbourn pulled over onto the shoulder after a traffic stop was initiated for a speeding violation.

    When Conner made his approach to the vehicle, the driver fired several shots, hitting Conner in the head and torso, authorities said.

    Conner tried to give a description of the suspect vehicle to a bystander who called 911.

    Conner died from his injuries on the way to a local hospital, Baker said. Conner is survived by a wife and two children.

    Davis fled the scene following the shooting but was later apprehended, officials said.

    CBS 17 will update this story as it develops.

    https://www.cbs17.com/1543887591
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
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    Death penalty sought in death of state trooper

    Prosecutors say they’ll seek the death penalty for one of two men charged in the fatal shooting of a Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop last month.

    The District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that a grand jury indicted 18-year-old Chauncey Askew on a first-degree murder charge Wednesday in the shooting death of Trooper Kevin Conner. District Attorney Jon David says his office intends to seek the death penalty against Askew.

    Conner was a native of Bladen County and graduated from Bladenboro High School. He and his family resided in the Williams Township area south of Whiteville.

    Authorities say Conner was shot early Oct. 17 after stopping a pickup on a rural highway. Twenty-year-old Raheem Cole Dashanell Davis was arrested hours after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. Askew was arrested days later in South Carolina. David says his office will make a charging determination on Davis later.

    https://www.bladenjournal.com/news/2...-state-trooper
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    Mother of first suspect charged in NC trooper’s killing implicates second suspect, document reveals

    The mother of the first suspect charged in the “cold-blooded” murder of Trooper Kevin Conner last month tipped off investigators about the name of the second suspect, an unsealed search warrant revealed on Wednesday.

    Raheem Davis, 20, and Chauncy Askew, 18, are each charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 17 killing of Conner. His murder stunned the community, including members of law enforcement who served alongside the beloved trooper.

    The search warrant, filed for information on Askew’s phone, provides new details about the case, including that he was also a suspect in another homicide.

    Shortly after midnight on Oct. 17, Conner pulled over a speeding truck on Highway 701 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County for what appeared to be a routine traffic stop. Instead, Conner was shot twice as he approached the vehicle.

    The trooper was taken to the hospital, but died as a result of his injuries.

    Using Conner’s dashboard camera footage, authorities were able to determine the suspects’ vehicle, which initiated a massive manhunt, ultimately leading to the arrest of Davis several hours later. While being pursued by law enforcement, Davis crashed the truck on railroad tracks near Fair Bluff and led officers on a foot chase before being detained.

    In an interview after his arrest, Davis said he only ran because “he had been drinking and did not have a license,” the warrant states.

    A search of the truck’s tag revealed it belonged to a Chadbourn produce company, the owner of which told investigators he was unaware it had been stolen, according to the warrant. While reviewing the business’ surveillance footage from Oct. 13, investigators saw an unknown man walk through the unlocked gate, which had been opened by employees, shortly after 4 a.m., and take the truck.

    “The owner advised keys are left in the vehicles for employees to use for work purposes,” the warrant states.

    A Chadbourn police officer told investigators he had run the vehicle’s tag around 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 after seeing it near the Funny Mart in Chadbourn. A review of the store’s surveillance video showed a man wearing jeans and a striped shirt purchase a Bud Ice from the store before getting into the truck and leaving. Investigators later confirmed this to be Davis, according to the document.

    Though the warrant indicates Davis’ mother first mentioned Askew’s name on Oct. 18, the document more specifically describes a conversation an investigator had with her on Oct. 19.

    In that conversation, Davis’ mother said she had received a Facebook message from a woman that included a phone number for her to call.

    The warrant states:

    “(Davis’ mother) called the phone number and spoke with a black female, who advised (her) that a man with the last name Askew was wearing bloody clothes after the shooting… (Davis’ mother) stated the female told her Askew got into a man named Aaron’s green Ford Taurus and went somewhere around 1:30am to 2am on Wednesday, October 15, 2018.”
    While no explanation is provided in the document, authorities reviewed a Loris, South Carolina convenience store’s surveillance footage Oct. 19, which showed the stolen truck pull into a pump at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 16.

    A man matching Davis’ description got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and entered the store, while another man, apparently Askew, got out of the driver’s side of the truck and pumped gas, the document indicates. The video then shows that around 11:45 p.m. – minutes before the deadly shooting – the men get back into the truck on their respective sides and head north on Business 701 towards Tabor City.

    After an “extensive manhunt,” Askew was arrested in Loris, SC in the early morning hours of Oct. 23. The warrant indicates authorities may have used a controversial cell phone tracking device in their search.

    Officials have declined to identify which suspect allegedly pulled the trigger in Conner’s murder, however, District Attorney Jon David has announced his office intends to seek the death penalty against Askew. David, who previously called Conner’s killing “cold-blooded first-degree murder,” has not announced if he pursue the same against Davis.

    Askew was a suspect in a 2016 homicide in Columbus County, according to the warrant, but no additional details are provided.

    http://www.wmbfnews.com/2018/11/21/m...ument-reveals/
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    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Judge allows state to seek death penalty in deadly shooting of NC trooper

    By WECT

    TABOR CITY, N.C. (WECT) - A strong law enforcement presence and dozens of family members watched as Chauncy Askew entered a courtroom Friday wearing a bulletproof vest.

    The judge approved District Attorney Jon David’s request to seek the death penalty in his case.

    Askew, 18, is charged with first-degree murder for his role in the shooting death of State Trooper Kevin Conner.

    He was arrested in late October without incident in Loris, S.C., after a manhunt.

    “When I saw him, I felt tears in my eyes,” said Early Gowans, Askew’s mother. “I had to put my head down. I’ve never seen that before. I just don’t think my son done it.”

    Askew and Raheem Davis are accused of gunning down Conner in mid-October during a traffic stop for a speeding violation on US 701 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County. Conner died after being taken to a local hospital.

    David claimed in court that Askew was the one driving the stolen vehicle and was responsible for pulling the trigger, firing a bullet that ultimately killed Conner. Askew’s attorney, however, says there is no evidence to back that claim.

    “Seeking the death penalty for my son is wrong until they find that my son did it - but I don’t think my son did that,” Gowans said.

    Askew's attorney said his client is incompetent to stand trial, only scoring a 52 on an IQ test earlier this week and scoring a 56 in 2015. He said he was hoping to get the rule 24 hearing continued, but the judge denied his request.

    “His lawyer is doing the right thing,” Gowans said. “My son does have brain damage because he has been in a car accident before. I hope they bring all that before a judge.”

    Ultimately, the judge agreed this is a capital case saying there are aggravated factors. The judge asked the capital defenders office be called to get Askew a second attorney.

    According to David, a grand jury indicted Davis on Wednesday for accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. His first-degree murder charge has been dropped.

    “I don’t think my son should be involved in this death penalty case alone,” Gowans said. “I think other parties that was with him need to be treated the same way as my son.”

    An unsealed search warrant revealed Davis' mother tipped off investigators about Askew’s involvement in the shooting.

    https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-new...per/1697925447
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    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Considering those IQ evaluations, this is extremely unlikely to be a death case for long.

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend CharlesMartel's Avatar
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    Bill Kirby Jr.: Prosecutor wants death for trooper's alleged killer

    The Fayetteville Observer

    The prosecutor didn't mince his words when he said in November he would seek the death penalty.

    Jon David is the district attorney for Bladen, Brunswick and Columbus counties, and he says Chauncy Askew gunned down a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper just after midnight on Oct. 17 in Columbus County, and David wants the 18-year-old Askew to pay for the murder with his life.

    “Given the facts of this case,” David would say in a news release two days after the trooper's death, “my office will pursue nothing less than the maximum punishment.”

    That's just what the district attorney did in a Rule 24 hearing on Jan. 11, and Superior Court Judge Douglas Sasser would grant David's request after a grand jury indictment.

    “Seeking the death penalty for my son is wrong until they find that my son did it,” Askew's mother was quoted by WECT News, a Wilmington television station, after the hearing, “but I don't think my son did that.”

    Apparently, neither does Richard Miller, who is defending the alleged killer. And he says, according to published reports, there's no evidence to support his client was the shooter. And, according to the WECT report, there's another issue to consider. Miller says, according to a published report, Askew is mentally incompetent to stand trial.

    “My son does have brain damage,” Askew's mother told the TV station, “because he has been in a car accident before.”

    No matter, Jon David believes Askew was the shooter when Kevin Conner, the 38-year-old patrolman, pulled over a speeding motorist in Columbus County, just shy of the South Carolina line, in what was a stolen white pickup truck. Approaching the vehicle, the trooper was gunned down by two bullets. Raheem Cole Dashanell Davis, 20, was arrested by lawmen later that morning, and Askew almost a week later.

    Davis, initially charged with first-degree murder, now is charged with accessory-after-the-fact of murder. Askew, the district attorney says, was the shooter. Both suspects fled, leaving the the 11-year trooper with gunshot wounds to his head and torso lying on the roadway gasping for life. A Bladenboro native and father of two children, the patrolman later died at a nearby hospital.

    An estimated 3,000 people, including Gov. Roy Cooper and more than 600 fellow troopers, attended the patrolman's funeral on Oct. 21 at South Columbus High School, and where Conner's cruiser sat silent in honor and memory of the slain patrolman.

    "It’s just such a senseless act,” Kathy Richardson of Whiteville would tell me after the solemn service.

    Now Jon David wants Chauncy Askew to pay for killing Kevin Conner, and the district attorney wants Askew pay for the crime with his life.

    I believe, for the most part, in the death penalty, particularly when it involves a law enforcement officer losing his or her life in the line of duty. And I am of the notion that Chauncy Askew will stand trial for, as the prosecutor says, taking Kevin Conner's life on that darkened highway.

    But, if convicted, will a jury send an 18-year-old to Death Row? My first thought was that will never happen, not considering Chauncy Askew's age.

    And then I thought of Sept. 23, 1997, and that traffic stop along Interstate 95, just north of N.C. 24, where Tilmon Charles Golphin Jr. and his brother Kevin Salvador Golphin mercilessly took the lives of Lloyd “Ed” Lowry, a veteran highway patrolman of 22 years, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputy David Hathcock.

    A jury of 10 women and two men convicted the Golphin brothers on April 29, 1998. On May 13, 1998, the jury said Tilmon Golphin and Kevin Golphin should pay for their crimes with their lives.

    Tilmon Golphin was 19 when he and his brother murdered the patrolman and the deputy. Kevin Golphin was 17, and his death sentence was commuted in 2005 to life in prison because he was a juvenile offender on Sept. 23, 1997.

    Do you agree with the prosecutor?

    That Chauncy Askew, if convicted, should pay for killing the patrolman with his life.

    Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at bkirby@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3571

    https://www.fayobserver.com/news/201...alleged-killer
    In the Shadow of Your Wings
    1 A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

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    Man charged in trooper’s death indicted for a 2016 murder

    WECT News

    COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A grand jury in Columbus County has indicted Chauncey Askew for first degree murder in the shooting death of Jerome Parrott on June 21, 2016.

    According to the District Attorney’s Office, Parrott was killed in the Green Acres community.

    Thursday, a judge ordered Askew be held without bond and appointed an attorney to represent him. This case is not eligible for the death penalty because Askew was under 18 at the time of this shooting.

    Askew, is also charged with first-degree murder for his role in the shooting death of State Trooper Kevin Conner. The judge has previously ruled that Trooper Conner’s case does qualify for the imposition of the death penalty and the state is proceeding forward.

    Askew and Raheem Davis are accused of gunning down Conner in mid-October during a traffic stop for a speeding violation on US 701 near Sellers Town Road in Columbus County. Conner died after being taken to a local hospital.

    http://www.wect.com/2019/02/14/man-c...dicted-murder/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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