A year-end review of murder convictions in New Hanover County

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – 2022 has been a big year for the justice system, as it was the first time since the start of the pandemic that courtrooms were fully operational again. It also meant closure for the family and friends of murder victims who were awaiting justice for their loved ones.

VICTIM: Sean Evans

CONVICTED KILLER: THOMAS WILLOUGHBY

For Sean Evans’ family, the person responsible for his death not only admitted his guilt, but apologized for killing him.

In the blink of an eye, Evans’ life was cut short by a man driving over 90 miles an hour. He was trying to evade the police.

Thomas Willoughby, Jr. robbed a store — specifically a Walmart in Porters Neck at knifepoint,” District Attorney Ben David said. He stole a big TV. “

Willoughby’s charges were far bigger than the theft and evading the police.

“We called it murder,” David said. “We called it first degree murder because he was committing an armed robbery when a murder occurred.”

It was October 2019. In May of this year, Sean Evans’ family finally saw justice. Willoughby was sentenced to 37 years in prison.

Evans’ family accepted his apology in court

“It seemed sincere,” said LeSan Evans, Sean Evan’s sister. “I was receptive but it’s not bringing Sean back. I’m glad he said it.

VICTIM: KIMBERLY BLAND

CONVICTED KILLER: ANDREW BOYNTON

In November. On February 7, 2019, the police made a startling discovery. Kimberly Bland’s body was found wrapped in a rug. She has a reputation for helping anyone, including her roommate, Andrew Boynton.

“The break in this case that really helped us was marrying off some of the things that were found at the crime scene, like cleaners and trash bags, with the defendant actually buying those same items before the time. where he killed her,” David said. . .

Boynton was convicted of Bland’s murder and sentenced on October 17. 5 He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

VICTIM: ALJHEAN WILLIAMS

CONVICTED KILLER: CEDRIC BURNETT

In 2016, Aljhean Williams was shot and killed while walking home from a friend’s house. At the time of his murder, the police had no idea who had killed him.

What ended up happening was that it wasn’t resolved. It wasn’t resolved for years and then we had a huge hiatus,” DA Ben David said. “We broke away from the technology that WPD has with the shotspotter and by marrying a case around the corner. We were able to match ballistically.

Four years later, Cedric Burnett was arrested in January 2020 for killing Williams. He was sentenced to life without parole in April this year.

VICTIM: ELAINE KINN

ATTEMPTED MURDER: MATTHEW STALLINGS

It was one of those stories where everyone thought she wouldn’t survive. Elaine Kinn was stabbed 15 times by her ex-husband.

Then he threw her off a balcony and this young woman lived here but was from Norway and she was able to take their child and go back there and tend to her injuries. She should have been dead,” David said.

It happenedJan. 6, 2021. Matthew Stallings was arrested the following day. He pleaded guilty in court – and even admitted he thought she was dead.

Kinn had to learn to walk again.

“They originally said I was going to be there all month,” Elaine Kinn said. “And I said ‘well, you obviously haven’t met me yet.'”

The survival story was so amazing that a Norwegian film crew portrayed it for a documentary.

“When she came back for the trial – and he never thought she would come back – they actually brought in a camera crew from Norway to follow us through this process,” David said. “They couldn’t believe something so horrible and violent could have happened and they wanted to see the proceedings for themselves, so they actually made this case into a documentary in Norway this year.”

Stallings’ attempted murder was sentenced on May 31, 2022 to 15 years.

VICTIM: NO NAME

CONVICTED RAPIST: TIMOTHY IANNONE

Finally, to wrap up the year — a case that District Attorney Ben David calls the biggest break — the arrest and conviction of a man who has been on law enforcement’s radar for 26 years.

June 8, 1996, when New Hanover County had a population of 140,000. When Independence was still land between Carolina Beach Road and River Road, that’s where this incident happened. It was called Titanium Road,” David recalls.

A woman was attracted to a man she believed to be a law enforcement officer. He even flashed a badge. He raped her and then left her in a ditch in a wooded area.

“Very different place back then. It wasn’t yet a place that had cell phones that people could call if there was a problem,” David said. “There was a good samaritan – a jogger who saw a woman shaking on the ground in a ditch and waving at a police officer and those officers took this young woman to New Hanover Regional Medical Center and got a rape kit. “

This kit, however, would sit on the shelf for more than two decades until state funding allowed it to be tested – with new technology eventually leading to hot breaking in a very cold case.

Called WSTR test and this test was able to isolate that it was Tim Iannone’s DNA and not millions, billions and trillions like you do with nuclear DNA. He achieved a profile that only one in 10,000 men has.

Iannone was also a person of interest in two unsolved rapes that ended in murder. The bodies of Allison Jackson Foy and Angela Rothen were found in 2008 in a wooded area off Carolina Beach Rd.

Iannone was then questioned but let go for lack of evidence.

David says, however, that they are also hoping for a break in those cases.

“I’ve asked the community to provide any additional information if they think they have any. And now that he’s in a place where he can’t hurt anyone, we’re hoping someone who knows something will.

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