Regional
Q-NOTES • MAY 22 . 2004
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Media ignores gay murder
from page 1
American communities.
The case is similar to the 1998 beating
death in Wyoming of Matthew Shepard, a
white gay college student who was beaten
and tied to a fence post. Two white men,
both 21, were sentenced to life in prison for
his murder.
Owen’s saga began Feb. 17, when he
told family members he was going to work
in Raleigh and then to meet a friend from
the Internet. That would be the last time
Owen’s parents would see their son alive.
It was February 21 when teenagers
playing at Old Farm Park in Durham dis
covered his battered body.
According to an article written by Benjamin
Niolet in the Raleigh News and Observer, twen
ty-one year-old Shelton Deangelo Epps, one
of the suspects in Owen’s murder, told police
how he, Matthew Lawrence Taylor, 16, and
Derrick Arness Maiden, 19, wanted to steal a
car, found their intended victfm on a gay chat
line and lured him to his death along the banks
of the Eno River.
An eight-page statement from Epps
dictated to the head of the Durham police
homicide unit, offers an account of the
events that led up to Owen’s slaughter.
The three accused gathered at the
house where cousins Epps and Taylor
lived and Taylor spoke of an acquaintance
who had used the chat line to steal a car
— indicating he wanted to try the scheme
himself. He used his cell phone to call,
talked to Owen and arranged to meet him.
When Owen pulled up in his car. the
three men asked for a ride. Owen drove
them to a store at Roxboro and Infinity
roads where Epps bought a cigar, which
they planned to use to smoke marijuana.
“We were going to get the gay guy high
to steal his car,” Epps told police. “[Taylor]
said if the guy was not smooth, he would
shoot him.”
In front of the car, Taylor pulled the
revolver, cocked the hammer and put the
gun to Owen’s head.
Epps remembers that Owen said. “Please
don’t do this to me,” and turned to run, but
Taylor fired anyway. Owen was hit in the
head but did not fall. The three ran after him,
and each hit Owen in the face. Owen was try
ing to get back inside his car while Epps, now
holding the gun. tried to get a clean shot. By
this time, Owen was fighting for his life, but it
would be a battle he would soon lose.
“The old boy is still moving. I’m think
ing, ‘This boy is a soldier,’ “ Epps said in
the statement.
Despite the gun wounds and beatings,
Owen was still alive, and the attack con
tinued. Epps kicked him in the head once
and stomped on his head twice. Maiden
kicked him in the side.
Epps surmised that by this time, Owen
was dead or extremely close to it. The
three dragged the body to the edge of the
Shelton [>eangelo Epps (left) and Derrick
Amess Maiden are also on trial for
Owen's murder.
river and rolled it in the water.
“We all said we just did murder,” Epps
said. “We needed to get out of here.”
Epps burned his clothes. Taylor, a
Northern Durham High School student,
drove the stolen car to his school, where it
was immobilized for a parking violation.
They got the car back before Owen’s
mother reported him missing.
After the teenagers discovered Owen’s
body. Maiden, Epps and Taylor wiped the
car down with bleach and doused the inte
rior with lighter fluid, abandoning it on
Franklin Street in Durham County.
According to Niolet’s story, the state
ment was the first time Owens had heard
details of how his son died.
“To shoot a man and then beat the hell
out of him and choke him and kick him
and shoot him again and then just throw
him in the river like he was a bag of
garbage,” Owens said. “They had no idea
how many lives were going to be shattered
when they did that.”
Epps, Taylor and Maiden were indicted
in mid April, although no trial date has yet
been set.
Durham County Prosecutor Freda Black
says they will be prosecuted for first-degree
murder, which could lead to penalties of
death or life in prison without parole.
‘Doesn’t your ecomony deserve a
stimulus package too?”
J. Lynn Davidson, CFP,® CLU
Mana^ng the economy that means most: yoxu’s.*'
J. Lynn Davidson. CFR* CLU
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