Two indictedfor 5 GarlandHwy. murders

RALEIGH — Two Sampson County men were indicted earlier this week for the murders of five people at a house on Garland Highway in October 2023.

The indictments were handed down from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, after, Easley said, unspecified leads led to the arrest of suspects Robert Andrew Daquan Williams, aka “Double Tap,” Drew and TTG, 31, of 406 Royal Lane, Clinton, NC., and Derek George, 35, of 1 E Carroll St., Turkey, NC.

That announcement was made Wednesday morning during a press conference held by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton and other county law enforcement officers joined Easley in making the announcement.

“The charges brought forth in this case demonstrate the partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute individuals believed to be contributing to violence in our communities,” Easley said during the press conference.

In a superseding indictment returned on Aug. 27, a federal grand jury charged Williams and George with drug distribution and robbery offenses. The indictment also alleges possession of a firearm to further the drug and robbery charges and that the firearm was discharged resulting in the murder of five victims.

Previously arrested on other charges, Williams has been in jail since Nov. 9, 2023. He was indicted from jail.

George was picked up by federal authorities.

Williams and George are each charged with one count of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine-base (crack), one count of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Williams also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

A third individual named in the indictment is charged with illegal gun possession but is not currently facing charges related to the murders. His name was not released Wednesday.

During the press conference, Easley praised the work of FBI Special Agent in-charge Dave Smith and his team, along with Thornton.

“There’s perhaps no closer partner, more heavily invested in our partnership than Jimmy Thornton,” said Easley. “This partnership has paid off for the people of Sampson County time and time again, as we confront violence and drug trafficking. This case is just the most recent.”

Easley also thanked the FBI, ATF, US Marshals, state Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Clinton Police Department for their efforts. “All have had a hand in the investigation that brought forth the case today,” he asserted.

The U.S. Attorney stressed residents communicating tips to law enforcement, saying tips by concerned citizens helped officers solve the Garland Highway case. This case, he stressed, was only made possible by residents of Sampson County.

“Our success, and the safety of the community, relies so heavily on trust in law enforcement. This case was helped along by tips of concerned citizens who raised their hands and shared what they knew and what they saw.”

Sampson law enforcement officials said they never let off the gas when it came to the probe into the Garland Highway murders.

“This case was worked on every day, regardless of progress,” said Capt. Lawrence Dixon, head of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Department. “Leads were made right away, and we were able to grow from those to have enough to make arrests.”

Despite the indictments, Easley noted that the investigation is still on-going and officers will still continue to receive tips, and dig deeper into the killings.

“There is reward money available for those willing to step forward and do the right thing,” Easley assured. “Any community, big or small, should know that their federal government works for them, and their federal law enforcement is there for them.”

Thornton said it was very rare to have five people killed in one house, especially in rural North Carolina.

“I can’t imagine how everyone in that area felt that night when they heard the news,” the sheriff asserted.

He thanked federal law enforcement for their partnership. “I can’t say enough. They were on it,” he said, adding that not a day had gone by without progress being made toward the solving of the murders.

“It’s concerning when you see the number of people killed and the age range, Dixon noted, saying he had seen a wide range of cases, but nothing quite like one on Garland Highway.

According to reports, sheriff’s deputies received a call around 12:41 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 that bodies had been discovered inside a residence at 10310 Garland Hwy., about 10 miles south of Clinton. Upon arrival, responding deputies discovered four males and one female dead inside, all with apparent gunshot wounds.

The house where the killings took place, reports noted, was known by authorities to possibly be a drug house, but the killings happened before any investigation was concluded.

“It was, in fact, a target location,” Thornton pointed out. “It had been an ongoing problem for us, as we have several in the county. It’s unfortunate that it happens, but it does.

“We will never be free of drug problems,” added Thornton. “For every one or two we arrests, someone will take their place.”

Thornton also noted that he is thankful that arrests had been made, even though it had been a year since the killings. He stressed that while time had elapsed since the killings, law enforcement wanted to make sure they had “every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed before a move was made.”

He offered praise to his staff for their dedication to the case, and said that the Sheriff’s Department been in constant contact with the victims’ families since the killings a year ago.

Those killed in the 2023 incident were Alfonza Jeffers, 73, of Clinton; Dagoberto Lopez, 33, of Garland; Hector Salazar Lopez, 39, of Garland; Lamar Williams, 58, of Rose Hill; and Jamie Lynn Rowland aka Jamie Thompson, 47, of Clinton.

The suspects will not be arraigned until December, officials noted.

If convicted of the charges leveled against them, Williams and George could face the death penalty.