The following superior court dispositions were handed down September 10 in Northampton County, according to Captain Patrick Jacobs of the sheriff’s office:
2017 Woodland murder
Raquan Williams, 29, of Woodland was sentenced after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 15 to 19 years.
The plea stemmed from a deadly armed robbery in Arrowhead Mobile Home Park in Woodland in which former Littleton resident Edward Phipps was shot and killed in September of 2017.
Williams became the fourth of the five defendants to be sentenced.
Of the four to go through the legal system thus far, Eric Vaughan Jr. received a life sentence without the possibility of parole after a trial.
Deshawn Beverly and Deshi Gatling received 20- to 25-year sentences for second-degree murder and armed robbery.
“The Northampton County Sheriff's Office would like to thank members of the sheriff's office that assisted with this investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in this original investigation, and we would like to thank the district attorney's office for an outstanding job with these cases in court,” Jacobs said. “We are thankful that the victims and family members of the deceased victim have justice on their side for the loss of their loved one and justice for the other victims in this case for the horrific events they experienced on September 22, 2017.”
2022 Warner Bridge Road shooting death
Johnny Smith Jr. of Maryland pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years, seven months to eight years in the March 28, 2022 shooting death of Ricky Lamar Douglas Jr.
Officers discovered Douglas lying in the front yard of a residence deceased from multiple gunshot wounds to the body.
After a five-month investigation Jacobs obtained warrants on Smith and Larry Gardner, both of Baltimore.
“The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their initial assistance with this investigation,” Jacobs said.
