Valerie Mayo McGee knew more than $300,000 she allegedly embezzled was supposed to go to paying her late mother’s debt for cancer treatments, a letter from Halifax County Clerk of Court Becky Spragins says.

The letter is contained in court records related to the estate of her mother, Beulah Mayo, and was written to Halifax County District Attorney Melissa Pelfrey on August 2.

Following a hearing on July 16, Spragins removed MgGee as administrator of the estate. “ ... Valerie M. McGee violated her fiduciary duty by disposing of personal property belonging to her mother ... to wit; a check in the amount of $324,526.62.”

Spragins noted in the letter she believed it her responsibility to send the information to the DA because of possible criminal implications that may have needed investigation. “There are outstanding debts that haven’t been paid and Ms. McGee did not post a bond in this matter so that these assets could be recouped.

“She also stated to me that she knew the funds were supposed to be used to pay debts of Mrs. Mayo, specifically to the Cancer Centers of America where she received treatment. There are no other substantial assets in this estate.”

Arrests sheets contained in the criminal folder for McGee show she used the money to make transactions for as little as $10.19 to three transactions for $47,428.

On Wednesday McGee, the girlfriend of Tony Maurice Gorham, who is charged in the May murders of two elderly women in Roanoke Rapids, was charged with 37 counts of embezzlement.

Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Jeff Hinton said the embezzlement allegedly started in March.

She was jailed on $40,000 bond, entering the jail at 4:40 p.m. and then released at 10:05 p.m. the night she was arrested.

McGee was indicted last month for accessory after the fact for helping Gorham attempt to escape, hiding evidence and giving false information to law enforcement officers.

McGee ceased communication with law enforcement and was entered into national criminal databases before giving herself up.

Gorham, a convicted felon with a long criminal history, was charged in the women’s murders and the state has said it will seek the death penalty.

Court documents show Gorham admitted killing Maxine McCrary and Nancy Burgess and robbing the mother and daughter of $200.

The information is contained in the request for a search warrant after Gorham, 28, allegedly stabbed the women the night of May 14.

The information filed by Detective Charles Vaught of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department says Gorham gave a written statement admitting robbing and killing both victims. It says he used a kitchen knife and took $200.

The documents also clarify McCrary’s son, Jim, was speaking to Burgess and not his 92-year-old mother between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. when Burgess, 65, asked him to hold on because someone was at the door.

Burgess asked Jim to call back and when he did he could not get through.Halifax Central Communications sent Officer Jason Williams to the scene at 311 Highway 158.

Williams could not get anyone to the door and went around the house where he noticed a side door was open.He called for assistance and Officer Roy Ball came. The officers entered the house and Ball found two women lying on the living room floor covered in blood.

As the State Bureau of Investigation processed the crime scene, Officer Chris Woodruff and his dog Zeusa located a brown patch of hair that appeared to come from one of the victims.

The search warrant notes it looked similar to the younger of the two women.At Gorham’s house, which is next door, investigators found red stains that appeared to be blood on the left side of the rear storm door and found a red stain located on the lower portion of the front door.

Officers seized as evidence the following: A telephone, a cell phone, one earring from the couch, one earring from the floor, a swab from the inside back door, a swab from the outside back door, a gold purse, hair, a burgundy purse and additional swabs.
The following morning around 4:30, Gorham was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed robbery.