Post by Scumhunter on Dec 19, 2014 1:02:34 GMT -5
HALIFAX — Jimmie Lee Mason Jr. of Roanoke Rapids was sentenced to life in prison without possibility for parole on Wednesday morning, according to Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp.
As previously reported by The Daily Herald, Mason, who was 19 at the time, was suspected in the Sept. 4, 2011, murders of 26-year-old Jennilee Foster and 38-year-old Thomas Tyrone Davis.
The decision came from a special court hearing Wednesday, according to Tripp, who said pleas were heard from Mason and Roanoke Rapids resident Aaron Jamal Mills, who pled to accessory after the fact of the murders.
Mills was sentenced to accessory after the fact of first-degree murder, and received 55 to 75 months in the department of corrections, according to the Clerk of Court’s office.
Foster and Davis were girlfriend and boyfriend, according to Chief Deputy Bruce Temple, and both were shot in Foster’s home. Foster was holding her infant daughter, Nevaeh, at the time of the shooting, but the infant was unharmed.
A court official verified Mason’s motive was robbery of marijuana.
Temple added in 2011, there were a series of murders, and this case was particularly difficult because of the lack of immediate suspects. Temple said he lost track of how many man hours were put in to find Mason, adding an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” that aired in 2012 on Lifetime detailing Mason put nationwide pressure on the suspect.
According to the episode, “As (Foster) put (her baby) to bed, Mason and another man, Aaron Mills, drove up, and Mason went inside. According to cops, Mason waited until Davis’ back was turned, then shot him in the neck, killing him. Foster, who was holding (the baby), came into the room to see what happened, and, cops said, Mason shot her while she held her baby. Cops said Mason left the home after robbing it, but according to police, came back when he heard Jen scream for help. That’s when he allegedly executed her with one more shot, leaving Nevaeh an orphan.”
Temple said he was in court on Wednesday morning during the pleas, and the families of Foster and Davis were present. Through both independent witnesses and physical evidence, Mason was confirmed to be the shooter and Mills to be the driver, according to Temple.
“It was a solemn moment for both families,” Temple said.
He said Nevaeh has been taken care of well from Foster’s sister and her husband, adding both families have remained close through this ordeal. Temple also thanked the team he worked on for this case.
“The team of investigators that worked on that double homicide really went above and beyond the call of duty,” Temple said. “I feel blessed to work with that team.”
Tripp said Mason was on the run for an entire year, and the episode of “America’s Most Wanted” contributed to the suspect’s capture. Tripp said the show’s producers were very helpful and cooperative in the investigation, which provided leads to bring the case to a close. He said after the episode aired on March 3, 2012, Mason turned himself over to the Sheriff’s Office in December 2012.
“We’re satisfied with the plea,” Tripp said. “We hope it gives the family some type of closure.”
www.rrdailyherald.com/news/mason-gets-life-in-prison/article_7d2b145e-86cd-11e4-8b17-9f14f7fa3b7e.html
As previously reported by The Daily Herald, Mason, who was 19 at the time, was suspected in the Sept. 4, 2011, murders of 26-year-old Jennilee Foster and 38-year-old Thomas Tyrone Davis.
The decision came from a special court hearing Wednesday, according to Tripp, who said pleas were heard from Mason and Roanoke Rapids resident Aaron Jamal Mills, who pled to accessory after the fact of the murders.
Mills was sentenced to accessory after the fact of first-degree murder, and received 55 to 75 months in the department of corrections, according to the Clerk of Court’s office.
Foster and Davis were girlfriend and boyfriend, according to Chief Deputy Bruce Temple, and both were shot in Foster’s home. Foster was holding her infant daughter, Nevaeh, at the time of the shooting, but the infant was unharmed.
A court official verified Mason’s motive was robbery of marijuana.
Temple added in 2011, there were a series of murders, and this case was particularly difficult because of the lack of immediate suspects. Temple said he lost track of how many man hours were put in to find Mason, adding an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” that aired in 2012 on Lifetime detailing Mason put nationwide pressure on the suspect.
According to the episode, “As (Foster) put (her baby) to bed, Mason and another man, Aaron Mills, drove up, and Mason went inside. According to cops, Mason waited until Davis’ back was turned, then shot him in the neck, killing him. Foster, who was holding (the baby), came into the room to see what happened, and, cops said, Mason shot her while she held her baby. Cops said Mason left the home after robbing it, but according to police, came back when he heard Jen scream for help. That’s when he allegedly executed her with one more shot, leaving Nevaeh an orphan.”
Temple said he was in court on Wednesday morning during the pleas, and the families of Foster and Davis were present. Through both independent witnesses and physical evidence, Mason was confirmed to be the shooter and Mills to be the driver, according to Temple.
“It was a solemn moment for both families,” Temple said.
He said Nevaeh has been taken care of well from Foster’s sister and her husband, adding both families have remained close through this ordeal. Temple also thanked the team he worked on for this case.
“The team of investigators that worked on that double homicide really went above and beyond the call of duty,” Temple said. “I feel blessed to work with that team.”
Tripp said Mason was on the run for an entire year, and the episode of “America’s Most Wanted” contributed to the suspect’s capture. Tripp said the show’s producers were very helpful and cooperative in the investigation, which provided leads to bring the case to a close. He said after the episode aired on March 3, 2012, Mason turned himself over to the Sheriff’s Office in December 2012.
“We’re satisfied with the plea,” Tripp said. “We hope it gives the family some type of closure.”
www.rrdailyherald.com/news/mason-gets-life-in-prison/article_7d2b145e-86cd-11e4-8b17-9f14f7fa3b7e.html