Motive A Mystery In Murder-Suicide Of Grissettown Couple
BY ERIC CARLSON sitting upright in an arm chair in front of the television have a teleohone number F m i?ro?>nrv u/nrlrnrc ne?*X 1 1 - 1 * - * - 1 c * -? *
BY ERIC CARLSON
Authorities are unsure of the motive in a murder-sui
cide Sunday night that claimed the lives of a
Grissettown woman and a man who recently moved in
to her mobile home on Old Shallottc Road, a
Brunswick County Sheriff's Detective said Tuesday.
Julcne Hill Wright, 47, was shot once in the head by
Ernest Love, 48, who then turned the pistol on himself
and fired a bullet into his throat shortly before mid
night, Detective Tom Hunter said.
"There was no sign of a struggle," Hunter said.
When sheriff's deputies arrived, Wright was found
sitting upright in an arm chair in front of the television
with a bowl of chicken and rice soup in her lap, said
Hunter. Love sat nearby on the couch, still holding the
.380-caliber pistol in his hand.
Patrol deputies were called to the scene at about
11:18 p.m. when they were notified that a Wisconsin
woman identifying herself as Love's mother had called
the Brunswick County Emergency Services (91!)
Ccuiei io say "iiiai hci son iiou caiicu hci and informed
her that he had just killed his wife and that he was go
ing to kill himself."
The caller was unsure of the address, but she did
have a telephone number. Emergency workers used the
phone number to trace the call to an address on Old
Shallotte Road.
Hunter responded to the trailer along with deputies
Johnny Earp, Keithan Home and Joey Adams. They re
ceived no response to their repeated knocks on the
door.
Looking through a living room window. Hunter re
ported seeing a woman sitting in a chair "with her head
thrown back and what appeared to be blood on her face
and body."
Not knowing whether the woman was still alive.
Deputy Home immediately forced the door open.
Hunter reported. That's when the officers found Love
on the couch. They immediately called for a rescue unit
and the county coroner.
"We were unable to detect vital signs from either
subject," Hunter reported.
Although there was no suicide note. Hunter said evi
dence at the scene suggested that Love fired both the
fatal ounchntc It annearpH that Wrioht haH itrct cat
o * "r r ^ ' j
down to eat when Love "surprised her,'" Hunter said.
She was shot in the upper left temple.
(See FAMILY, POLICE, Page 2-A)
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Thirty-Second Year, Number 45
Shollotte, North Carolina, Thursday, September 8, 1994 50< Per Copy 42 Pages, 4 Sections, Plus Inserts
Harassment
Suit Against
Chamber
Is Dismissed
A sexual harassment lawsuit
against the South Brunswick Islands
C hamber of Commerce and two of
its former presidents has been vol
untary dismissed in Brunswick
County Superior Court
Holl, s B. "Holly" Richards, who
Uaims she was fired from the cham
ber post in Apnl 1992 "on account
a failed ,l) aPPear for an
Aug 29 court date, did not produce
evidence requested by the defen
dants and had "differences" with her
attorney who asked to withdraw as
her counsel, according to court doc
uments
cuR.l,Char Js and at,urne^ William R
Shell were scheduled to appear in
court Aug. 29, when Richards was
to have responded to a second re
quest by the defendants to produce
documentation and lists of witnesses
supporting her allegations of sexual
improprieties against her by cham
ber members. Shell appeared but
,ccortin8 coun
The requested information includ
ed Richards' medical records, em
ployment history, tax returns and the
names and addresses of witnesses
referred to in her complaint, includ
ing two people identified only as "a
ci i?^?r and a mamcd man."
shell s motion to withdraw as her
lawyer stated that "differences have
arisen between himself and Rich
ards and that Shell "has obtained
knowledge which makes ,t impossi
ble for him to be able to continue to
represent" her Judge W.ll.am C
Oore Jr granted the motion.
The two former presidents have
sought "appropriate sanctions" for
Richards refusal to respond to their
discovery requests, but an attornev
tor the chamber said luesday she
doesn t know if Richards will be or
dered to reimburse the defendants
tor their legal expenses.
Attorney jane Jackson of
Winston-Salem, representing the
chamber, said she is "pleased that
his case will not be going any fur
ther Because the lawsuit was dis
used "with prejudice," it cannot
be refiled.
Current Chamber President Joe
Stanley, who was not named in the
lawsuit, said, "It's a real relief. I'm
glad its behind us and I hoDe it
doesn t come back to haunt us."
OIB Bridge
To Have One
Lane Closed
During Repair
There will be at least a week of
w/CnWay ,ravel ?n the Odell
Williamson Bridge to Ocean Isle
Beach beginning Monday, Sept. 12,
while repairs are made to the deck a
spokesman for the N.C. Department
of Transportation said Tuesday.
"We hope it wouldn't be more
than a week, but we can't count on
good weather and we won't really
know the extent of the repairs need
ed until we start the work," said Ray
Collins, DOT bridge maintenance
supervisor.
Workers will be patching "spalls "
or flaws in the bridge deck, starting
at about 9 a.m. Monday, Collins
said. Flagmen will direct traffic dur
ing the day; at night, partitions will
be erected, along with stop-and-?o
signs, he added.
"We want to make sure people
watch out and be aware of the peo
ple on the bridge," Collins said.
Three spans on the de<-k will re
quire patching with epoxy which re
quires 24 hours' drying time. "If it
gets rained on before it dries, we
have to reapply," Collins said.
SIAW PHOTO rr flic CAJUiOH
Holiday Crab Hunt
Brandy Perry, age 8, of Hunnlevel and Daniel Home, 5, of Raeford
explore the shallow waters of the Intracoastal Waterway near
ttricklanding Monday morning. Their families spent the Ixkbor
Day weekend camping across from Shallotte Inlet.
JUDGE DENIES MOTION
Commissioners Agree To
Appeal $14 Million Award
To Brunswick County Schools
BY KRIC CARLSON
Brunswick County Commis
s loners unanimously agreed to ap
peal a S 1 4 million award to the
county board of education last week,
claiming the judge did not allow the
jury to consider the spending needs
of both sides before ruling on the
school funding controversy
In an emergency meeting F-riday
afternoon, the commissioners agreed
to take their case to the N.C. Court
of Appeals after Superior Court
Judge Jack Thompson refused to
grant the county's motion for a new
trial Thursday
Thompson noted that there is no
way of speeding up the lengthy ap
peal process, hut said he would con
tact one of the court judges and "re
quest a hearing at the earliest possi
ble point "
County Attorney Mike Ramos
said previous appeals of school
funding battles have not been re
solved before the end of the futcal
year in which they were filed. As
long as the case is on appeal, the
Brunswick Board of Education will
have to run the school system on the
same amount of county funding it
used last year
In deciding to appeal the case,
commissioners expressed concern
that the 10-cent tax increase needed
to pay the jury award would put too
great a burden on taxpayers, espe
cially those on fixed incomes.
"That tax increase will be there
next year and from now on if we
HUL
STA/F PHOTO ?v ft>C CAALSOi
SUPERIOR COURT Judge
Jack Thompson makes his rut
in k on the county \ request for
a new trial in its funding dis
pute with the hoard, of educa
tion.
don 'I overturn the decision," said
Commissioner Donald Shaw. "They
said in the trial that one of their
schools had 70 pcrcent of its stu
dents on (he assisted lunch program.
Forty percent of students in the sys
tem arc on it.
"That tells me that people in this
county are not wealthy," Shaw said.
" I"here's not a one of us that doesn't
want to improve education. But in
my end of the county, a lot of people
have to borrow money to pay their
taxes How are those people going
to pay more?"
Citing the recently announced
drop in student test scores,
Commissioners' Chairman Don
Wanen said the county's share of
school funding has increased steadi
ly for years without a corresponding
improvement in student perfor
mance.
"I think this board and other
boards before us have done their
part to upgrade schools," Wanen
said "Test scores were higher in
1991 than they were in 1993. The
school board needs to address other
issues besides just money. They can
blame whoever they want to. But
they've got other problems besides
funding."
Warren said he felt Judge
Thompson was wrong in not allow
ing evidence about the board's bud
get process and the need to consider
school funding in the context of oth
er expenses. The county was specifi
cally prohibited from telling the jury
about the relationship between the
money it spends and the tax rate
needed to collect those funds.
Each $500,000 worth of county
spending requires roughly a half
cent worth of ad valorem taxes, ac
cording to county Finance Officer
Lithia Hahn
In its 1994-94 budget, Brunswick
(See FUNDS, Page 2-A)
out ibtft TuX/ju/ers Croup Endors&s Islort d S?c?ss/on P/on
BY SUSAN USHER
A proposal to establish a separate island
government, oncc considered a "perennial
jest," appears to be gaining momentum among
Sunset Beach island property owners.
On a voice vote Saturday approximately
100 Sunset Beach Taxpayer Association mem
bers enthusiastically supported Barry Lcnt/'s
motion to pursue secession of the island from
the Town of Sunset Beach, with only one neg
ative vote voiced. The SBTA Board of
Directors is to poll island properly owners
and, if a majority favor the proposai, begin
seeking legislation to make it a reality.
"I don't always agree with what you do, but
I think this makes a lot of sense," said one
full-time island resident
Mayor Mason Barber dismissed the propos
al as an attention-getting effort by the SBTA to
rally property owners around a cause "If they
don't have a project they don't get any publici
ty," he asserted "They're concerned about
growth, but Realtors couldn't have bought the
publicity they have brought this town."
When WarTen "Bud" knapp Sr., chairman
of the SBTA's bridge committee committee,
raised the idea of secession on the basis of
"taxation without representation" at the SB
TA's Laster weekend meeting, members de
feated the motion 24-19, but only after lengthy
debate.
Since then, a number of island property
owners asked that the proposal be looked at
seriously. Raymond Zetts, a retired educator,
pulled together a committee of part-time and
year-round island residents to study the feasi
GETS PROBATION. WILL TESTIFY
Murder Suspect Accepts
Plea Bargain In Davis Killing
BY ERIC CARLSON
One of four men charged with
murder in a gang-style killing last
Novembei pleaded guilty to conspir
acy Thursday morning (Sept. 1),
joining five other "peripheral play
ers" who have agreed to testify
Inside...
DUMllltM llCTrS tMMHMMtiOD
Calendar ??Ml ???????#????????(? 6B
Church News ...IOC
Court Docket ...,~ ~..9C
Fishing ~.6D
Golf .4D
Obituaries ??????????????????? UC
Opinion ?4*SA
People In The News , ? 7B
Plant Doctor ? JB
Television 8-9D
against co-defendants in the case.
Nicholas Lavoir Smith, 17, of
U.S. 17, Bolivia, pleaded guilty to a
charge of conspiracy to commit as
sault with a deadly weapon with in
tent to kill inflicting serious injury in
the brutal slaying of Charles Wayne
"Butch" Davis.
Prosecutors say Smith was origi
nally chargcd with murder because
he was among the four young men
who got out the cars when 10 people
drove to Davis's mobile home "to
teach him a lesson" thai night.
Five other youths pleaded no con
test to the same conspiracy charge as
Smith last week. They allegedly
stayed in the cars while Davis was
being shot, kicked and slashed with
a machete in the driveway of his
home on Albright Road.
Although Smith remained in the
car during the killing, he allegedly
got out afterwards to summon his
cousin from the scene, Assistant
(See SMITH, Page 2 -A)
bility uf establishing an independent island
government
The committee believes independence is
feasible, he reported Saturday, but only if there
is "a real commitment by a majority of island
property owners." That commitment includes
a willingness to use property owners' power
and influence to achieve that end.
"1 don't think we have any choice but to go
forward," he said, echoing the group's general
sentiment "We've already lost control of the
island: it's time to take it back."
"!f we don'! take control of the island,
what's going to happen? We hope to be able to
control our own destiny."
Suggesting taxation without representation,
Zett's committee calculated that island proper
ty owners provide approximately 65 percent of
all town incomc, including property and ac
commodations taxes, yet are outvoted by the
mainland majority of town residents and gov
erned by a mainland-dominated town council
"dead to island voices, island issues and island
concerns."
Speakers also suggested the island isn't re
ceiving the town trash collection and police
services it needs during the season, is in dan
ger of losing its status as a safe family beach
with no distractions, is unique in having rising
property values when surrounding communi
ties are seeing declines, and faces the prospect
of high-rise development, if the town chooses,
if a new bridge is built that would allow trans
port of girders to the island.
Island self-government would still leave
(See SUNSET, Page 2-A)
STAff fHOTO BY MIC CAKLSON
Treacherous Intersection
Brunswick County Emergency Medical Services workers remove a victim from one of the two cars that
collided where N.C. 904 crosses US. 17 Monday morning. It was the first of two Labor Day wrecks at
the Grissettown intersection, where many say a traffic light is needed. New Hanover County Sheriff
Joe McQueen and his family received minor injuries in a similar crash there Monday afternoon.