By james art RALEIGH — Two Sampson County men were charged earlier this week in the October 2023 slayings of five people at a home on Garland Highway.
The charges were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District, after, Easley said, unexplained leads led to the arrest of the 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.
The 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 officials joined Easley in the statement.
“The charges brought in this case demonstrate the partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies 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 Aug. 27, a federal grand jury indicted Williams and George on felony counts of drug distribution and robbery. The indictment also alleges possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug and robbery charges and that the firearm was discharged resulting in the killing of five victims.
Previously arrested on other charges, Williams has been in jail since November 9, 2023. He was charged by the jail.
George was taken into custody 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 robbery under the Hobbs Act, one count of robbery under the Hobbs Act, and one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Williams also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
A third person named in the indictment has been charged with illegal gun possession, but is not currently facing charges related to the murders. His name was not released Wednesday.
During the news conference, Easley praised the work of FBI Special Agent in Chief Dave Smith and his team, along with Thornton.
“There is probably no closer partner more seriously invested in our partnership than Jimmy Thornton,” Easley said. “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 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. “They all had a hand in the investigation that brought the case out today,” he assured.
The U.S. attorney emphasized that residents report tips to law enforcement, saying tips from concerned citizens helped officers solve the Garland Freeway case. This case, he stressed, was only made possible by the people of Sampson County.
“Our success and the safety of the community rely so heavily on trust in law enforcement. This case was helped by tips from concerned citizens who raised their hands and shared what they knew and what they saw.
Law enforcement officials in Sampson said they never let off the gas when it came to investigating the Garland Highway murders.
“This case was being worked on every day regardless of progress,” said Capt. Lawrence Dixon, chief of the sheriff’s department’s criminal investigations division. “Clues were immediately made and we were able to grow from them to have enough to make arrests.”
Despite the charges, Easley noted that the investigation is still ongoing and officers will continue to receive tips and dig deeper into the murders.
“There are cash rewards available for those willing to step forward and do the right thing,” Easley assured. “Every community, big or small, needs to know that their federal government is working for them and their federal law enforcement agencies are there for them.”
Thornton said it’s very rare for five people to be 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 said.
He thanked federal law enforcement for their partnership. “I can’t say enough. They were dealing with it,” he said, adding that not a day went by without progress in solving the murders.
“It’s troubling when you see the number of people killed and the age range,” Dixon noted, saying he’s seen a wide range of cases, but nothing like the 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 found at a residence at 10310 Garland Hwy., about 10 miles south of Clinton. Upon arrival, responding officers found four dead men and one woman inside, all with apparent gunshot wounds.
The home where the killings took place, the reports noted, was known by authorities to be a possible drug store, but the killings took place before the investigation was complete.
“It was actually a target location,” Thornton pointed out. “This has been an ongoing problem for us as we have several in the county. It’s unfortunate that it happens, but it does.
“We’re never going to be free of drug problems,” Thornton added. “For every one or two we arrest, someone will take their place.”
Thornton also noted that he is grateful that arrests have been made, even though it has been a year since the murders. He stressed that while time had passed since the murders, law enforcement wanted to make sure they had “every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed before a move was made.”
He praised his officers for their dedication to the case and said the sheriff’s department has been in constant contact with the victims’ families since the killings a year ago.
Killed in the 2023 crash 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 arrested until December, officials said.
If convicted of the charges against them, Williams and George could face the death penalty.