All in Crime
Robert Lee Strother had his first appearance in court this morning and is now being held at the W.E. “Billy” Smith Detention Center in Kinston. He was treated and released at a local hospital on Sunday after being taken into custody Saturday night near a residence on Banks School Road.
Suspect Robert Lee Strother has been apprehended tonight. Strother, the subject of a man hunt by local law enforcement agencies in Lenoir and surrounding counties, shot LCSO Dep. Steven Key Thursday night and seriously wounding a Lenoir County resident Friday morning. Law enforcement searched for Strother throughout the day on Friday after locating the truck Strother stole.
***ARMED AND DANGEROUS***
The multi-agency manhunt for Robert Lee Strother continued throughout the night Friday into Saturday morning in the Kennedy Home Road corridor. As the sun rises over Lenoir County this morning, more agencies will be on hand to assist the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, including Greene County, said LCSO Maj. Ryan Dawson. He also asked for the public’s aid in apprehending Strother, who has multiple felony charges pending after shooting LCSO Dep. Steven Key Thursday night and seriously wounding a Lenoir County resident Friday morning and stealing his truck.
“If anyone has any tips about this case, please call 252-559-6118,” Dawson said. “We also appreciate the thoughts and prayers from Lenoir County residents the past couple of days in regards to this situation.”
Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said that as daylight has faded to night, the manhunt continues for Robert Lee Strother.
The search continues inside the perimeter that has been established along the Kennedy Home Road corridor from Snake Road to Lang Skinner Road.
That search is being aided by night vision technology from several agencies, including the State Highway Patrol, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Craven County Sheriff’s Office and the SBI.
“We are truly appreciative of all these agencies that are helping us find Mr. Strother,” Ingram said.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020 Officers were able to identify Howard Earl Coley, age 55 of Tarboro, NC as the subject responsible for 2 Breaking and Entering cases at 160 Hwy 58 S. Kinston, NC.
UPDATED STATEMENT: After going before the Magistrate chargers were amended to Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill and Discharging a Firearm in the City Limits.
ORIGINAL STATEMENT: On Monday, November 16, 2020 at 1:04 p.m., Kinston Police responded to the 100 BLK of W. King St. in reference to reports of shots fired. Officers arrived in the area and located a subject matching the description given by callers near the intersection of Bright St. and Queen St. That subject was identified as Timothy Allen Butler, age 53 of Kinston, NC. During the course of the investigation, officers determined that Mr. Butler and another subject got into an argument and at some point during the altercation; Mr. Butler pulled out a firearm and began firing at the victim.
On Sunday, November 15, 2020, at 12:16 am, officers with the Kinston Police Department responded to the 500 block of Laroque Avenue in reference to a subject who had been shot. Upon arrival, officers located Willie Sutton Jr., a 51-year-old male of Kinston suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper chest/arm area. A short time after, officers were notified that a 22-year-old male of Kinston was at UNC Lenoir with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. This subject was flown to Vidant Hospital and is currently in stable condition. These two incidents appear to be related and that Mr. Sutton was targeted. Charges are pending in this case.
On Friday, November 13, 2020, at 8:06 pm, officers were dispatched to the Dollar General, 405 E. King St. Kinston, N.C. in reference to an armed robbery. Upon arrival officers met with the store clerk who advised that a black male entered the store brandishing a handgun and demanding money.
A recent rise in violent crimes has raised the proverbial eyebrows of the community, but Kinston Police Chief Tim Dilday and his team are engaged in the solutions. Despite the decrease in gun violence in recent years, the frequent updates about shootings that have occurred in recent weeks can give the impression that the city is violent. To keep the community informed, KPD is active on social media with frequent updates and releasing of necessary community information, including updates on crimes like larceny and gun violence. Chief Dilday, Major Keith Goyette, and Major Jenee Spencer discussed the perception of violence, and the impact the community can have on its own safety.
The Kinston Police Department is seeking information in regards to a Breaking and Entering that occurred between November 7th, 2020 and November 12th, 2020 at 160 NC 58 South.
An Absconder is defined in Division of Community Corrections (DCC) policy as “an offender who is actively avoiding supervision by making his/her whereabouts unknown to the supervising officer.” Statewide, there are about 12,000 probationers who have absconded probation – about 10% of all supervised probationers.
An Absconder is defined in the Division of Community Corrections (DCC) policy as “an offender who is actively avoiding supervision by making his/her whereabouts unknown to the supervising officer.” Statewide, there are about 12,000 probationers who have absconded probation – about 10% of all supervised probationers.
On Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 7:56 p.m., officers were dispatched to reports of shots fired possibly in the area of St. John's Village. While officers were en route, 911 Communications advised of a gunshot victim that had arrived at UNC Lenoir. Officers responded to the hospital and made contact with the victim, Khalil Rayquan Branch, a 24 year old male, who advised he was shot on Dixon Street in Kinston.
Warrants have been obtained for Trevor Demitri Akeily Peters, B/M, date of birth 04/02/1994, 26 year old male who has lived in the Kinston area for about the past 7 years with various associates. Officers obtained warrants on Peters for First Degree Murder in reference to the shooting last night of Demario Washington on the 1000 blk. of E. Bright Street.
On Wednesday, November 04, 2020, at 8:09 pm, officers with the Kinston Police Department responded to the 800 block of E. Shine Street in reference to a shots fired call. Upon arrival, officers located a crime scene that consisted of (12) shell casings but no one was injured during the shooting. While officers were on-scene investigating the incident, they heard gunshots from two blocks away from the original scene.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at approximately 4:00 pm, officers with the Kinston Police Department responded to the 800 block of Dixon Street in reference to a shooting complaint. Upon arrival, officers located a 24-year-old male subject suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower leg. The gunshot wound doesn’t appear to be life-threatening. The subject was transported to Vidant Medical Center where he recovered from his wound.
On October 29, 2020, Officers with the Kinston Police Department obtained arrest warrants and arrested Shelton Jerrod Mason (29 years old) and Shaquan Tysheim Harper (23 years old), both of Kinston, for their role in the shooting.
On October 27, 2020 at 9:30 p.m. Officers of the Kinston Police Department arrested Deonko Hayes Brewer Jr. of Kinston N.C. The 19 year old was charged with Attempted First Degree Murder in connection with the shooting of Khalil Dail earlier that day in the parking lot of 4151 W. Vernon Avenue.
Chief Tim Dilday of the Kinston Police Department has a message for the community after a rash of violence over the past weeks. “The Kinston Police Department has responded to four shooting scenes in the month of October, all of which occurred within the past two weeks. An arrest has been made in one of these cases and suspects have been developed in each of the others. Additional arrests are forthcoming. While today’s shooting investigation is in the preliminary stages, I can tell you that at least one suspect has been identified.” (read the entire message)
On October 27, 2020 at 1246 hours officers of the Kinston Police Department responded to the parking lot of 4101 W. Vernon Avenue in response to a 911 call of a person who had been shot. Officers arrived on the scene to find Khalil Dail, 21 year old male of Kinston, NC who suffered from one gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was transported to Vidant Medical Center via ambulance.
Reports on social media indicate a shooting took place on Tuesday afternoon outside the Dollar Tree in the Westpoint Shopping Center on West Vernon Avenue in Kinston.
One commenter on Facebook reported hearing a gunshot, and witnessing a large police response a few minutes later.
Scanner traffic indicated that at least one person had been shot during the incident.
This is a developing story.
Neuse News has reached out to the Kinston Police Department for a statement, and will update this story as we get more information.
