David Wemyss
A man involved in the death of a popular Walmart employee is scheduled to go to trial on Friday, Feb. 5, according to North Carolina court system records. His initial court dates have been pushed back twice.
According to reports from the N.C. Highway Patrol, Bruce Lee Holder, 24, of 3803 Waycross Road, Clinton, was traveling home on U.S. 421 after working second shift at Walmart around 12:10 a.m. on Oct. 12. Holder, who was riding a moped, was hit from behind by Wemyss, 52, of 484 N.C. Highway 58, Warrenton.
Wemyss reportedly hit Holder from behind at approximately 55 mph, throwing the victim from the moped some 185 feet from the initial point of impact.
Wemyss was charged with driving while impaired, failure to reduce speed and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. He is scheduled to be in court to face misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, felony hit and run (injury), DWI and failure to reduce speed charges.
Johnny Aman
A former Sampson County sheriff’s deputy, arrested on a host of sex charges June 5, 2009, is scheduled to appear in court Friday as well, after his court date has been pushed back twice already.
Aman, age 47, of 3706 H. B. Lewis Road, Clinton, was arrested after an investigation into a sexual assault reported by a 17-year-old female. Investigators with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office were reportedly aable to determine that Aman had started having sexual relationship with the female when she was just 13, and continued the relationship until March, 2009, when he again is charged with forcing her to have sex against her will.
Aman was charged with eight counts of statutory rape; one count of second degree rape; eight counts of indecent liberties with a minor; two counts of soliciting prostitution of a minor; nine counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor; and one count of sexual battery.
He was terminated from the sheriff’s office in February of 2006.
Alexandria Vreugdenhil
The court date of a teenager involved with a wreck in September will take place Feb. 9, according to court system records after being pushed back twice last year.
Vreugdenhil, 16, of Clinton, is scheduled to appear to face three charges — reckless driving; no license/permit seating violation; and having no operator’s license.
According to reports from the Highway Patrol, two of four teens riding in a car with Vreugdenhil were seriously injured when her 2009 Nissan, traveling east near the intersection of Bass Lake Road, went off the right side of the roadway.
Vreugdenhil, who was driving, and her front seat passenger Alissa Kornegay, 16, of Clinton, were reportedly shaken up but not seriously injured in the one-vehicle accident. The young men — Josh King, 18, of Faison and Jeremiah Davis, 17, of Newton Grove, were back seat passengers and were in the area of the vehicle where the most impact occurred.
Reports show her vehicle “got away” from Vreugdenhil and slid off the right side of the road and down an embankment. She struck a piece of farm equipment, a disc, which was hooked behind a tractor. When the vehicle struck the disc, the trooper said, it then traveled another 25 feet. The greatest impact was to the vehicle’s rear, where King and Davis were sitting.
Paul Mitchell Autry
A 30-year-old Clinton man, charged with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor in August 2009, is scheduled to appear in Sampson County Superior Court March 8, according to prosecutor Kevin Kernan.
Autry, 30, of 1086 Barker Road, Clinton, was arrested for taking “indecent liberties with a child” after an investigation that began on Aug. 9, 2009.
Since the arrest, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office has been coordinating investigations with law enforcement agencies from Duplin and Pender counties, where it is believed that additional sexually-oriented acts on minors occurred.
While in custody at the Sampson County Detention Center, Autry was served an additional indecent liberties charge by investigators with the Surf City Police Department stemming from that investigation.
Kernan said Tuesday Autry’s Pender County case will move to Sampson.
“He is expected to be in court during the next administrative term, which is March 8,” he said. “He has to have at least one appearance at that time.”
Prior to his Aug. 11 arrest, Autry was serving a probation sentence for two felony larcenies that occurred in 2005.
It was not clear at press time, when or where Autry will be prosecuted or the Duplin County charge.
Evans Cromartie
A 24-year-old man, arrested in the shooting death of Christopher Perice Owens, 23, of Garland, is expected to have his Feb. 5 court date continued.
Evans Brian Cromartie, 24, of Garland, was charged with one count of murder in the shooting death of Owens, who was killed on Nov. 11, on Castle Lane in Harrells.
Cromartie has a court date scheduled for this Friday, but the prosecutor on the case said that she expects a continuance.
To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.
God Bless you, Paul Mitchell Autry Family.
I hope you realize her court hearing has been long over due. Alex needs to take responsibilty for her actions occuring that faithful night. There is not a day goes by when my heart does not go out for those men she driving around without a license. I know my uncle will find closure for the horrific damage his farm equipment sustained in the crash. I can only hope he can begin to greive for the loss of his favorite disc.
Mr. and Mrs. Vreugdenhil, I know you have suffered a great loss as well. You did buy a new 2009 Nissan for a teenager without a license. I can only imagine the betrayal you felt at the hands of this child. I'm sure you had good intentions, though, when you told Alex it's illegal to drive without a license only if you're caught. My heart goes out to you as well. I hope you find it in your heart to do the right thing and let this hearing go foward. Alex will love you for letting her take responsibility for her mistake. God Bless you, Vreugdenhil Family.