A 54-year-old Sampson County man will spend the rest of his life locked behind bars following his conviction and sentencing this week in Superior Court.
After deliberating for just over three hours Tuesday, a jury of seven women and five men found Carl Wiggins, who resided at 104 West North St., Roseboro until his incarceration in mid-2021, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Kiara Renee Wiggins, along with concealment of death and possession of a stolen vehicle charges.
Superior Court Judge Augustus D. Willis IV of Craven County sentenced Wiggins, who represented himself at trial, to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a consecutive sentence of 128 to 166 months in prison for the concealment of death charge and a consecutive sentence of 20 to 33 months for the stolen motor vehicle offense.
Willis ordered that the sentences run consecutively to the one Wiggins is currently serving for the chase that led to his arrest in 2021.
In addition to the prison time, Wiggins was also ordered to reimburse his wife’s family for her funeral expenses, in the amount of $5,068.85.
“This defendant deserved the sentence of life without the possibility of parole for his crimes,” said District Attorney Ernie Lee following the verdict.
“This was a senseless act of violence that will affect the victim’s family for the rest of their lives. Kiara Renee Wiggins was only 38 years old when she was murdered. She was loved by her family, who described her as ‘a ray of sunshine,’ and the loss of her life affects them deeply.”
Lee, who represents the 5th Prosecutorial District, which includes Sampson, said family members were in court throughout the trial, showing support and in memory of their loved one.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton and Chief Deputy Marcus Smith also praised the verdict, noting that the outcome of the case reflects the efforts of many who worked the case throughout the investigative process.
“While no verdict can erase the pain of their loss, we are grateful that justice was served through this conviction,” Thornton said.
The sheriff and Smith applauded the teamwork that they said led to Wiggins’ conviction.
“I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of our employees, as well as the outstanding partnerships we share with our fellow law enforcement agencies, which helped bring closure to the family of Kiara Wiggins,” Thornton attested.
“This outcome reflects the tireless commitment of everyone involved to pursue the truth, hold those responsible accountable and serve the citizens of our community with professionalism and integrity.”
The trial
The six-day trial, which began with jury selection on July 28, detailed Kiara Wiggins murder, the cover-up, the discovery of her body and the eventual arrest of Wiggins, with the state offering over 450 items of evidence during the case that pieced together a gruesome tale of an apparent argument that turned deadly.
Mrs. Wiggins’ body, bound with a belt and extension cords, was discovered in trash bags on Aug. 2, 2021, some 45 days after she was reported missing on June 18. Her remains were unearthed just beneath a shallow grave, located in a wooded area off Boykin Bridge Road.
A panel of 14 individuals was selected — 12 regular jurors and two alternates — to hear the evidence and testimony of witnesses. Although Wiggins chose to represent himself, the court appointed attorney Jason Minnicozzi of Wilmington to act as the defendant’s “standby counsel” during the trial.
A standby counsel is a licensed attorney appointed by a judge to assist a criminal defendant who has chosen to represent themselves (pro se) at trial. While the defendant retains full authority over their defense under the Sixth Amendment, standby counsel serves as a procedural safety net and advisory resource.
During the trial, evidence showed that Wiggins’ family reported the 38-year-0ld missing after going to her home in search of her on June 18, 2021, some nine days after they had last spoken to her.
When they arrived at her home on June 18, jurors heard, the family noted that the victim’s car was missing and there was no answer when they knocked on the door to the residence. They were, however, able to gain entry into the apartment where they found a home that appeared to be “packed up,” with clothing and bedding stuffed in garbage bags, furniture disassembled and moved. They also noticed numerous air fresheners and insect foggers placed around the residence the couple shared.
At that point, the family called the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and, shortly after, officers from that agency and the SBI opened a probe into her disappearance, collecting evidence from the West North Street residence, including bedding and clothing. It was noted during the trial that investigating officers noticed “the odor of decomposition” coming from some of the bedding in one of the garbage bags as well as what appeared to be drag marks on the back deck of the residence.
One day after going to the Wiggins’ home, on June 19, the family located the defendant at a Budget Inn in Clinton and asked him if he knew where Kiara was. Testimony showed that Wiggins told them he and his wife had gotten into an argument and that she had left, going “to a white girl’s house that sold food stamps.”
Testimony showed that Wiggins left the Clinton hotel on a black Ford Excursion, a vehicle, jurors were told, he was not known to drive.
Evidence further showed that Wiggins was seen on June 15 at several area stores, where he purchased deodorizers, cleaning products, insect foggers, a tarp, rope and a gas can. Three days later, on June 18, the defendant borrowed a shovel and a bush axe from an acquaintance who, in turn, told authorities that Wiggins had left their home driving the black Ford Excursion.
Video obtained from a local business further showed that a vehicle arrived at the defendant’s home in the early morning hours of June 15 and pulled around to the back, something the owner testified was “out of the ordinary.” That same business owner also testified that Wiggins and his wife “fought all the time.”
Jurors also heard from Donald Melvin of Bladen County, who had reported on June 17, 2021, that his work truck, a black Ford Excursion, had been taken from his home. Melvin did not know Wiggins or his wife. Testimony also showed that Mrs. Wiggins’ car was located on Green Sea Road, also in Bladen County. Investigators discovered a new, unopened package of rope in a Big Blue Store bag on the ground near where her car was found. A new tarp, jurors were told, was in the trunk of that car.
Some six days after Melvin reported his vehicle stolen, Wiggins got into a chase with Johnston County law enforcement officers, who had to deploy spike strips along I-40 in Raleigh to stop him. He was eventually apprehended and taken into custody, charged at the time with possession of a stolen vehicle, among other offenses. Since his wife’s whereabouts and condition were still unknown, no charges related to her disappearance were leveled.
During the processing and lab work on the stolen vehicle, however, a cadaver dog from the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department alerted on the rear of the Ford, with initial findings indicating that DNA from an unknown person was found on swabs from the bumper. It was not known at the time whether that DNA belonged to the victim.
In Sampson County, law enforcement officers continued their search for Mrs. Wiggins and, with the help of the local fire marshal, were able to narrow their probe to an area off Boykin Bridge Road.
On Aug. 2, jurors learned investigators located a car seat, books and a Bible, all belonging to Melvin, in the Boykin Bridge Road search area. Not far from those items, evidence further showed, they discovered a “depression in the ground.” Deputies began to dig in that area, stopping when they reached what appeared to be colored cloth. At that point, the SBI was notified.
State investigators, court records noted, excavated the “clandestine grave,” locating Wiggins’ body in “trash bags, a sheet, a multi-colored blanket and a 2XL House of Raeford t-shirt. Wiggins, reports show, was known to have been employed at the House of Raeford. His wife’s body was found bound with a belt and extension cords.
Lee said due to the condition of the remains, Mrs. Wiggins’ body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh, where an autopsy was conducted. Those findings indicate she died of “homicidal violence of undetermined means,” with pathologist Dr. Jane Baranello ruling out any natural cause of death, noting that Wiggins had no drugs, illicit or otherwise, in her system.
Baranello testified that the most likely cause of death was asphyxiation, saying there were often no physical findings of asphyxia at autopsy.
A sample of Mrs. Wiggins’ DNA was obtained and submitted to the SBI Crime Lab, where it was determined that the swabs from the bumper of the Ford Excursion were 92.9 trillion times more likely to have originated from Mrs. Wiggins than an unknown individual.
Wiggins was arrested on Aug. 11, with law enforcement officers noting at the time that they had “compelling evidence” to charge him with his wife’s murder.
He did not testify in his own defense, nor is he required to do so.
During the sentencing hearing this week, one of Wiggins’ sisters spoke, saying she had forgiven Wiggins for his actions.
After the trial, Lee thanked his staff and investigators for all the hard work they put into the case.
“I really appreciate the work of the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office under the leadership of Sheriff Jimmy Thornton and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, as well as the work of my staff, Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer Barnes and Robert Thigpen, who prosecuted the case, along with the assistance of McKenzie Grady, legal assistant.