The
ews
Journal
If it happened, it's news to us
No. 30 Vol. 95
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
‘Reign of terror’ ends with guilty verdicts
Jordan, Barefoot found guilty of crime spree that ended after shooting a Scotland deputy
IJt VicioKKNA St mmi;rs
Staff writer
Timoiln Lee Jordan ;ind William Glenn Bare-
loot were loiind guilty on Monday ol'attempted
murder.endingwhat Distict Attornes Kristy New
ton called a “reign of terror."
The two were convicted of shooting Scotland
Sheritl's Maj. Dan Skamperle in western Hoke
Counts on Niarch 30. 2001.
Newton told the jury that Jordan and Barefoot
“acted in concert" in the premeditated crime that
lett a trail of terror.
“Did they have malice?" Newton said. “You bet
they did. It was not only an assault upon a person.
It was an assault upon the badge. “They (law
officers) get up e\ ers day and put their lives on the
line for us. The only line between law abiders and
law breakers is law enforcement.”
Assistant District Attorney Mike Hardin ech
oed Newton's comments, saying the men were
extremely dtingerous.
“Thes walloss’ed in the thrill of just stealing,”
Hardin told the court. “They left the houses of
sictims looking like war zones. They robbed a
pregnant woman and tied up a 7()-year-old man.”
The signature of the bandits were gloves, cam
ouflage or dark ski masks and weapons. They shot
Skamperle three
times and made
their getaway in
sight of wit
nesses at Parks
Grocery on Ab
erdeen Road.
Hoke 911 op
erators were told
by a caller that
Skamperle might
be dead. Rescue
workers arrived
as grocery store
owners Albert
and Michael
Parks and others were helping him to remain
conscious. Skamperle is disabled because of inju
ries he sustained in the attack.
“1 feel very good for all the victims that this
reign of terror is over and can never be repeated by
them,” Newton said.
“The only reason Skamperle is alive today is
because the gun of one of the assailants jammed
after they began shooting him.
“Maj. Skamperle was actually shot in the back
while he was still in his vehicle. He turned at the
last minute in a last ditch effort to save himself.
F
i
at
T
I 1
Above: Defense Attorney jack Carter sits between defendant Timothy Lee Jordan (left) and
William Glenn Barefoot. Left: District Attorney Kristi Newton.
Otherwise, it would have been a direct shot into his
chest.”
New'ton said Barefoot, 38, was sentenced to a
minimum of bb years in prison after an alleged
crime record that spanned 15 years. Jordan, I9,
was sentenced to a 52-year minimum term jn
prison. After three hours of deliberation, the jury
returned guilty verdicts on 47 counts, including
assault with a deadly weapon to inflict serious
injury. The jury included seven men and five
women. They found Jordan guilty of 23 charges
against him. Barefoot was convicted of 24 charges.
Judge Robert Floyd presided over the three-
week trial heard in Cumberland County’s Superior
Court. Because of the large number of witnesses
from Hoke and Scotland counties, Newton said the
trial was ordered to be held in another jurisdiction.
Despite the men entering separate pleas of not
guilty, Newton said they never testified on their
behalf and no defense witnesses testified.
Newton presented 300 photos, blood and DNA
samples and 100 items of evidence, and inter
viewed 80 witnesses. She commended Hardin and
(See CONVICTED, page 8A)
This Week
V
Squier awarded
Long Leaf honor
lA.
Healthy Hoke
Task Force
gets award
4A
Health Fair offers
free screenings
|)api‘ A A
Index
Births 3B
Ccilencicir 2B
Clcissifieds 7B
Dedlhs 5A
Editorials 2A
Engagements 3B
Legals 4-6B
Public Record 5A
Religion 10A
Schools....4,8B; 7A
Socials 3B
Sports 6A
Weddings 3B
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
coawy
5 students arrested in three
incidents involving weapons
VJ
j»Jik -
Top: Students attract attention after being allegedly threat
ened by a student with a gun. Bottom: Detective Joseph
Brown, equipped with body armor, files a report.
By VirroKiANA Scmmi ks
Staff writer
A String of violent incidents in
volving teens suspected of possess
ing weapons on :md off the Hoke
County High School campus has re
sulted in the arrests of five students.
In one of the incidents, a 17-year-old
female student is recovering from
injuries inflicted by a younger stu
dent who used a tire iron in a fight on
campus that erupted over a boy. In
another, deputies arrested two stu
dents after one allegedly waved a
gun from his yard after school to
threaten another student on a school
bus.
“The students have been sus
pended because they presented an
imminent threat to the safety of our
students,” said Assistant School Su
perintendent George McFarley.
“That i s i n accordance w i t h ou r school
policy. They have not been allowed
to return to school pending further
investigation.
“The administration at the high
school has the right to take whatever
action necessary to immediately ad
dress a situation to safeguard the
well-being of students and staff, and
that is what they did.”
McFarley said these precautions
were approved to reta i n a clean, learn
ing environment.
Thecase involvinj»agunoccurred
following a fight between two male
students on a school bus at Blue
Springs and McNeill Farm roads last
Thursday.
According to authorities, Hoke
High student Samuel Locklearalleg-
edly threatened James Robert
Sturdivant with a handgun from
across the street. The bus was loaded
with 16 other students at the time of
the confrontation, said Maj. Thomas
Carlton of the Hoke Sheriff’s Office.
Locklear, 16, of Blue Springs
Road, was charged with assault by
pointing a gfln and simple assault.
He was released to the custody of his
mother on a written promise to ap
pear in court.
Sturdivant, 18, of Old Maxton
Road, was charged with simple as
sault.
“The bus driver stopped to put out
Mr. Locklear,” Carlton said. “He
exited the back door of the bus while
his sister was attempting to get off
the bus at the front door.
“He went into his house and alleg
edly came back with a handgun. He
made threatening gestures from his
front yard with the gun toward the
bus. The sister basically got the gun
away from him and apparently took
it into their home and hid it.”
Carlton said no injuries resulted
from the incident.
“Our deputies responded quickly
and arrested the two boys on the
scene,” Carlton said. “They did not
resist. The situation could have esca
lated. Their quick response prevented
the situation from heating up into a
major problem.”
According to Carlton, the weapon
was not loaded with a clip of ammu
nition.
“We do not know if the Locklear
(See ARRESTED, page 9A)
SBI continues probe of former Parks and Rec director
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Even though former Hoke Parks and
Recreation director Artis Gay was de
moted in December 2001 to athletic di
rector because of an alleged misspending
complaint, county commissioners have
yet to publicly announce that action was
taken. Gay resigned on May 3 and a State
Bureau of Investigation probe, which be
gan last December, continues.
Gay repaid al 1 the $830 of county funds
he allegedly took, according to county
records.
Gay was employed under the adminis
tration of former county manager Bernice
MePhatter, who resigned last October.
She has been charged with embezzlement
and forgery in a separate matter.
Almost a nine-year employee. Gay re
portedly agreed to a voluntary garnish
ment of wages in order to make up the
alleged discrepancy. He was unavailable
for comment.
County records indicated Finance Di
rector Shirley Rush signed a payment
agreement with Gay last fall. Rush was
suspended without pay in August 2002.
She was indicted on one count of assessory
after the fact in the embezzlement case of
MePhatter. Both Rush and MePhatter are
awaiting trials.
County commissioners were appar
ently not advised of the possibility of
misappropriations in Parks arid Recre
ation prior to a special audit that uncov
ered possible unauthorized use of funds
after MePhatter resigned.
On December 3, 2001 commissioners
met in a closed session and secretly de
moted Gay after learning of the allega
tions. Rush was on administrative leave
with pay at the time, pending an SBI
investigation in connection with
MePhatter. Since a personnel action was
taken by the board against Gay, it was
required by state law to announce its deci
sion to the public. The board may have
been in violation of the state’s open meet
ing laws.
(See PROBE, page 7A)
Developer looks at old hotel
with eye for possible renovation
By Pat Ai.i.ln Wilson
Editor
A convcisation between Raeford
Mayor Bob Gentry and John Hagan,
president of National Senior Living, has
led to interest in the former Raeford
Hotel as a possible location for an as
sisted living facility.
Gentry announced at the October 7
city council meeting that nationally
known developer John Kennedy will be
touring the hotel along with an architect
associated with his company. They are
meetingwith city officials al the site this
morning (Wednesday).
Gentry said the idea that the long-
vacant hotel building might be renovated
into an assisted living facility came when
Hagan mentioned to the mayor a project
underway in Tampa. A hotel that had
been vacated was being converted into
such an assisted living facility that would
include apartments, a cafeteria and other
amenities.
(See HOTEL, page 7A)
Alert residents help apprehend convicted felons
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
In what Maj. Thomas Carlton of
the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office calls
“one of the greatest examples of why
Community Watch works,” deputies
apprehended two convicted felons
who are now in Hoke Jail.
Citizens of western Hoke County
spotted a “suspicious vehicle” lurk
ing in their neighborhood for several
days. With Tom Squier, Hoke Veter
ans Service Officer, as spokesperson,
they took their concerns to the HCSO.
Yesterday deputies picked up Ja
son Lament Seymour, 32, of Roosevelt,
New York, and Steven Augustus
Edwards, 33, of Hempsleoi, New York,
and charged each with possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon, which is
a felony charge; and possession of a
handgun that had the serial number
removed. Seymour is uqder $25,000
secured bond, and Edwards is under
$10,000 secured bond.
An investigation into the men’s ac
tivities in Hoke County continues,
Carlton said. Both have extensive
criminal records and were convicted
of felonies in the New York, he added.
“We’re trying to determ^e the exact
purpose of their loitering in the area
for several days, according to wit
nesses.”
Squier said he first spotted the ve
hicle the men were in Monday at about
9 p.m. “It seemed to me the occupants
were watching my house.” he said
“They were sitting there in the dark
with the motor running.”
A former law enforcement officer
and retired Green Beret, Squier ap
proached the vehicle and was told by
the driver twice to get away from the
vehicle. Squier said he felt threatened
when they told him not to go near the
(See ALERT RESIDENTS, page 9A)