A Superior Court judge slammed the prison doors shut on a Clinton man Thursday after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and two other felonies associated with a 2023 shooting death.
Orenthal James McIntrye, now 44, will spend the rest of his life behind bars, with no possibility of parole, the sentence Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Robert C. Roupe handed down to him following the nearly eight-day trial.
In addition to first-degree murder, the nine-woman,three-man jury found McIntrye guilty of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Roupe sentenced the defendant to a minimum of 127 months and a maximum of 165 months for the assault conviction, and a minimum of 22 months and a maximum of 36 months for the firearm charge. Those sentences were to run consecutively to the murder conviction.
In North Carolina, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life without parole sentence; the additional sentences only serve to secure the prison doors further.
Security at the Sampson County Courthouse was tight throughout the trial and remained so during the deliberations and eventual sentencing portion of the proceedings, according to law enforcement officials.
“This defendant committed violent crimes the night of Aug. 29, 2023 and deserved the sentence of life without the possibility of parole,” District Attorney Ernie Lee said following the conviction.
McIntrye, who was reportedly armed and dangerous — and on the run — following the April 29, 2023 shooting on Sampson Street, just off downtown, turned himself into law enforcement short of a month after the incident.
He was wanted and eventually charged in the April 29 shooting that left James Gamino, 30, dead, and his brother, Sergio Gamino, suffering from gunshot wounds. A story in a 2023 Sampson Independent noted that Clinton Police found James Gamino lying on the ground in the driveway at 303 Sampson St., and Sergio Gamino, 27 at the time, lying on the porch of a 315 Sampson St. residence. Both had gunshot wounds.
Life-saving efforts by officers at the scene could not save James Gamino, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
In court, the state unpacked evidence for jurors detailing the events of April 29, explaining that the evening began for the Gamino family with dinner followed by the installation of a Ring camera at the home.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that it was around 11:30 on the 29th when the Gaminos decided to go for a walk, heading to Johnson Street, then McKoy, onto Vance and eventually back to Sampson Street.
Those on the walk included Mrs. Gamino, her husband, James Sr., who was in a wheelchair, their adult son, James Gamino Jr., his girlfriend Brianna Jackson, Sergio Gamino and a teenage son.
Testimony during the trial showed jurors that as the family reached the corner of Faison and Sampson streets, the defendant was walking through the yard of 217 Sampson St. and approached the group.
Further statements from the witness stand showed that McIntrye made derogatory comments toward the family and said the elder Gamino’s wheelchair was “taking up space on the sidewalk.”
Witnesses described the defendant as “angry, aggressive and using multiple curse words” as he talked to the family members.
At that point, evidence showed, the Gamino family and McIntrye began to argue, with the defendant finally walking off towards nearby vehicles, with some of the Gamino family following because they felt like McIntrye was headed to get a gun.
Testimony showed that Mrs. Gamino heard McIntrye say “gun,” and when it was apparent to them that he was headed to find a weapon, the family left 217 Sampson St. and crossed the street, where Mrs. Gamino ran to get her car, where a gun was kept. The teen pushed the elder Gamino all the way home and obtained another gun from under a pillow in the home.
Jurors learned during testimony that McIntrye returned with a gun, walking up Faison Street and crossing it to get to Sergio and James Gamino Jr., as well as Jackson.
McIntrye, evidence showed, fired seven times and then left the scene.
James Gamino Jr. was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the arm. He ran a short distance then fell and died, jurors were told.
Sergio Gamino was also shot twice and ran onto the porch of a nearby home, where he stayed until EMS arrived.
Mrs. Gamino and the teen arrived on the scene, testimony showed, after the shooting had ended and McIntrye had fled the scene.
Video evidence was provided by the state, shoring up the testimony and showing the Gamino family leaving their home for the walk and the teen taking his father back home in the wheelchair. It also showed the teen going back into the home to retrieve the gun.
The state, led by assistant prosecutor Jennifer Barnes with second chair held by assistant district attorney Robert Thigpen, presented additional video evidence showing McIntyre approaching the family at the corner of Faison and Sampson streets, as well as walking back to the area with a gun, crossing the street and shooting the Gamino brothers.
The defense tried to prove that McIntrye shot in self-defense, but no evidence substantiated that any member of the Gamino family had a weapon when they headed out for a walk.
There was also no evidence presented that showed any of the Gamino family physically assaulting McIntrye.
According to the N.C. Department of Correction, McIntyre has a criminal record in North Carolina that dates back to 1999, including traffic and drug convictions, along with possession of stolen goods convictions.
In remarks sought by The Sampson Independent, Lee said Clinton Police Detective Allen McDuffie investigated the case with the assistance of other detectives.
He praised the officers, Barnes, Thigpen and legal assistant Andrea Maggio for their hard work and tenacity in trying the case.
“I am very proud of their hard work,” Lee stressed. “These cases take a tremendous amount of time, effort and diligence in preparing for trial and presenting the case to a jury.”
Lee said he was pleased with the outcome of the case, noting that justice had been served.
“James Gamino Jr. was loved by his family; the loss of his life affects them deeply,” Lee said.
“Many family members were in court each day of the trial in support and memory of him. His mother and brother spoke about him at sentencing, emphasizing how his loss had changed the lives of his entire family.”