INDICTMENTS HANDED DOWN
Brunswick County Grand Jury Indicts Teen Driver On Murder Charge
BY TKRRY POPK
A Shallottc teenager has been in
dicted on a charge of second-degree
murder stemming Irom a fatal car
accident near Ocean Isle Beach a
year ago.
A Brunswick County grand jury
Monday returned a true hill of in
dictment against Christopher Dale
Bowers, IS, of Route 6.
The indictment slates that
Bowers "feloniously did of malice
and aforethought kill and murder"
Damon Patrick Willard, 19, of
Cause Landing Road at Ocean Isle.
Willard was a passenger in a
1985 Chevrolet pickup truck
Bowers vs.is reportedly driving that
crashed on N.C. 179 just after mid
night on Sept. 8, 19%.
State Trooper B.I). Bamhardt,
who presented evidence to the
grand jury Monday, reported that
Willard was thrown from the truck.
The vehicle was traveling an esti
mated 85 mph w hen it ran off the
rijiht shoulder a Knit .2 mile west of
Ocean Isle Beach.
The vehicle then crossed the
roadway, struck a ditch bank and
overturned two or three times,
Bamhardt reported. Willard was
thrown 65 feet from the vehicle and
died at the scene.
According to documents on file
at the Brunswick County Clerk of
Court's office. Bowers registered a
blood alcohol content of .116 fol
lowing the accident.
Bamhardt 's report also suites that
Suspect's
Bond
Reduced
BY TERRY POPK
Bond was reduccd to $25,000
Monday for a man accused of kid
napping, assaulting and robbing an
elderly Ash woman in January
Brunswick County Superior
Court Judge Narlcy Cashwcll low
ered bond for Norman Marshall
Gore, 29, of Ash, after the defen
dant's parents said they were will
ing to put up their home as bond.
Gore had been held in the
Counl>' Jail under
M5.MX) bond since his arrest Jan.
He is one of three men charged
in the alleged robbcrv of a 91-year
old woman.
The victim testified in April
against Gore's co-defendant Mcl
vin Asbcrn Whaley, 23, of Long
wood. who was found guilty by a
jury of first-degree burglary, larce
ny after breaking and entering and
assault inflicting serious injury He
was sentenced to 37 years in
prison.
Gore is charged with first-degree
burglar)-, second-degree kidnap
ping, robbery with a dangerous
weapon and assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill.
Another co-defendant, Robert
Jefferson Collins, of Route 1 Ash
pleaded guilty to first-degree bur
glary and common law robbery in
an agreement with the district attor
ney s office. He agreed to testify
against his co- defendants.
Collins-will not be sentenced un
U alter Gore is tried in Superior
Court, which may not be until
December.
That is the earliest the State
Attorney General's office can send
a special prosecutor down to try the
Gore Sa'd D'Slricl Atlorney Rex
"It's possible dial I, or someone
n die staff, may have to testify as
to a contested matter," said Gore.
IJfcnsc attorney Willjam Woods
o Uhitcv'1 ? has XTvea prosccu.
tors with subpoenas U) possibly tes
tify in the case.
When that happens, the only
one left to try a case is someone
from the state." said Gore.
Cashwcll ordered that Gore not
communicate wuh the victim or go
about her home if he is released
from jail. He also asked the defen
dant if he undersUHKl that his p ir
enis would lose their home if he'de
tided to (lee Brunswick County.
The elderly woman testified in
April that the men broke into her
home, hit her over the head with a
metal flashlight and took an esti
mated S 1, 100 from her.
According to a statement Collins
provided, and read in court by the
district attorney at Whaley 's trial.
Gore allegedly hit the woman on
the head with the flashlight when
she refused to tell them where she
kept her money.
On Blinds!
Call Seaside!
?79-7592 ? Hwy. 179, Seaside
the ilc I aidant admitted to drinking
three to four beers when questioned
alter the accident.
Bowers and another passenger,
Bryan Lawson, IS, of Sluillolte,
were also injured in the accident
and taken to the hospital for treat
ment.
Bowers had been charged with
involuntary manslaughter and driv
ing w hile impaired. He entered not
guilty pleas in court on Jan. S.
Other persons indicted on charges
bv the grand jury Monday w ere:
?George R. Mason, 22, of Route 5,
Shallotte. was indicted on a charge
of felonious taking of shellfish front
a closed area between sunset and
sunrise on Sept. 15.
According to N.C. Marine Fish
eries Officer Dale Hcwett, Mason is
accused of taking 5X4 clams from
polluted waters near Bonaparte
Landing. The clams, valued at 10
cents each, were returned to the wa
ter.
?Johnny Ray Simmons, 36, of
Castle Haync Road, Wilmington,
was indicted on a charge of felo
nious driving while impaired alter
having been convicted of three or
more DWI offenses within seven
years. "I"he charge was filed by
Ocean Isle Police Officer Dan
Hunter on Aug. 4.
Simmons h:kl been convicted of
DWls in New Hanover Counly Dis
trict Court on Feb. 7, IM85; in
Brunswick County District Court on
July 23. and in New Hanover
County District Court on April 25,
1988, the indictment slates.
?Richard W. Bonds. 49, of Long
Beach, was indicted on a charge of
taking indecent liberties with chil
dren, allegedly involving a girl un
der the age of 16 on Aug. 23, it
states. Charges were filed by Long
Beach Police Officer Mike Phelps.
?Shane Eric Smith, 23, of Dale
subdivision, Southport. was indicted
on a charge of felonious driving
while impaired after having been
con vie led of three or more DW! of
fenses within seven years. The
charge was filed by Trooper Barn
harill on Aug. 24.
Smith had been convicted of
DWIs in Burke County, Georgia
Superior Court on lX*c. 5, 1990; and
in Mayors Court, f ort Valley, Ga.,
on Feb. 20, 19X9, and Jan. 21. 1985,
the indictment states.
?Michael Scott Hamrick, of 167
Occan Boulevard West, Hoklcn
Beach, was indicted on chargcs of
two counts of second-dcgrcc bur
glary. one count of felonious break
ing and entering, two counts of felo
nious larceny and two counts of
possession of stolen gixxis.
He is accused of breaking into
l wo homes on Ocean Boulevard
West at Holdcn Beach between 2
a.m. and 4 a.m. on June 27. Ham
rick allegedly took two walkie
talkies, a guitar, binoculars, tennis
shoes and groceries, all valued at
$485 from one of those homes, it
states. Holdcn Beach Officer M.C.
Hamilton Filed those charges.
Hamrick also allegedly broke in
to a home at Buccaneer Hills North
where a microwave, refrigerator,
telephone, clothes and linens, all
worth S450, were taken on June 27,
it states. Brunswick County Sher
iff's Detective Gene Caison filed
those charges.
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