NC NC - Shannon Rippy VanNewkirk, 54, Wilmington, 5 April 2014 *GUILTY

[los2188]

Body found in Pender not missing woman, suspect still charged with murder -

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) --

Wilmington Police say a body found earlier this week in Pender County is likely not that of a Wilmington woman missing for several weeks. At an afternoon news conference, Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous said it appears the body found off Hoover Road near Hampstead is not Shannon Rippy Vannewkirk, who was last seen at a downtown Wilmington bar April 5, but further testing is still needed. Investigators had charged James Opelton Bradley, who worked with Vannewkirk at a landscaping company, with her murder.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/2014/05/01/b...ssing-woman-suspect-still-charged-with-murder

 

[borndem]

bbm. I wonder what evidence LE has connecting Bradley to Shannon's murder. Is there any mention anywhere about what links him to the murder other than they worked together? I guess it will come out. I just hope he wasn't an easy target for LE, being a recently released convicted murderer who worked with her, IYKWIM.

IKWYM, Boods, and I agree. I hope they have their facts right & tight, and it would be great if they had other folks who witnessed things that "didn't look right," etc., etc. If Bradly is The Guy, we don't want him walking AGAIN...

 

[Treelights]

I am shocked at the news!!!
I have many questions, yet I am at a loss for words!!

 

[borndem]

WECT, Saying the remains are likely not her's. !!!!!

Not only is this unbelievably sad for Shannon's family & friends, and LE now having to start again, it also means that we have another murdered woman -- assuming this poor woman was murdered. So it appears that LE has another case to chase and another family will be devastated. Oh, my.

(I know, call me Captain Obvious, but I just had to say it... this is just awful and doubly sad.)

 

[zelmajane]

It is kind of scary to me that it is in Pender county. Sheriff Carson Smith does a great job shutting down puppy mills, but there isn't much murder here, thankfully.

The good news is Pender county cares, hates crime, and solves crime.

 

[zelmajane]

Having followed Heather Elvis' case closely, I think it is important to note that there is a McDonalds on the corner of Hoover and Hwy 17. There should be lots of video.

 

[SStarr33]

Looks like Bradley started a FB page on April 20. Not much there:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008230414805

 

[ClaireNC]

This article was updated about 30 minutes ago and says that the body found is not Shannon. http://www.wect.com/story/25387900/...ng-woman-man-charged-with-first-degree-murder

Chief of Police Ralph Evangelous said the autopsy results on the human remains found earlier this week are not those of missing woman Shannon Rippy Vannewkirk.

The wording in the article is a bit odd, but it sounds to me like Bradley is also a suspect in the murder of the body that was found. It sounds like they might know the identity of the body, but have not released the information.

1st degree murder charges against James Bradley will remain because he is the lead suspect for the murder of Vannewkirk, and now of the remains found. The identity of those remains found have still yet to be released.

O/T: I spent the day in Wilmington today, such a great city and so sad to think of Shannon and the other person who was murdered.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Bizarre!
Did he go on a killing spree?

 

[DocBrew]

Odd development. As for how they found the body, he probably copped to it like he did with his step-daughter back in the day. Makes you wonder if he killed Shannon too and hid her in the same place (but as yet unfound), and he told police she would be there (along with another).

Crazy twist.

 

[SStarr33]

This story has a bit more info, one thing being Mott said would have hired Bradley even if he would have known that he murdered his stepdaughter. After that comment, IMO he can kiss his business goodbye:

http://m.wect.com/#!/newsDetail/25387900

 

[StormyNights]

Holy smokes! I didn't see this coming at all. I guess this is why a lot of PD's wait until it is absolutely confirmed before they say anything. Wowzaa!!! I bet this has really given Shannon's family a renewed sense of hope. Can you just imagine if she were to come waltzing back and is like "What is going on?" That would be wonderful. I feel awful for whoever was found and their family. It's still a tremendous loss for someone. IMO! JUST WOW!!

 

[thordis]

This story has a bit more info, one thing being Mott said would have hired Bradley even if he would have known that he murdered his stepdaughter. After that comment, IMO he can kiss his business goodbye:

http://m.wect.com/#!/newsDetail/25387900

In my part of NC, the towns seem to use Inmates to do landscaping work in public areas. They are out working fairly often during the warmer months. I've often thought that it was a great way to gain work experience that could be used once out of prison if the inmate found a sympathetic boss. I wonder if Bradley had some such experience.

 

[Just K]

I keep wondering if he wasn't out and living in some sort of a step down program, like supervised release or a halfway house, before his "official" release in Feb 2013.

 

[StormyNights]

This story has a bit more info, one thing being Mott said would have hired Bradley even if he would have known that he murdered his stepdaughter. After that comment, IMO he can kiss his business goodbye:

http://m.wect.com/#!/newsDetail/25387900

That really just blows me away. Why would Mott even say something like this? Does anyone know what the laws are in NC for hiring someone with a police record? Do they have the question on most job applications out there asking if you have any convictions on your record? Is the employer allowed to say they aren't going to hire someone because of said record? In Wisconsin where I am at, they CAN tell you they aren't hiring because of your record IF it has something to do with your job directly. So if you were convicted of theft of money, they can say we aren't going to hire you as a cashier. Just curious about that. Thanks!

All is IMO....

 

[StormyNights]

I keep wondering if he wasn't out and living in some sort of a step down program, like supervised release or a halfway house, before his "official" release in Feb 2013.

I can't find the link right now but I remember reading that they started to release him on weekends to "ease" him back into society. I will go hunting for that link.

 

[Just K]

Here is the actual court record:
http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi...turl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

 

[StormyNights]

Here is the actual court record:
http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi...turl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

Thank you for posting this! It turns my stomach to see LIFE on those records and know he only served 20-something years. Blah!

 

[Just K]

I can't find the link right now but I remember reading that they started to release him on weekends to "ease" him back into society. I will go hunting for that link.

I wonder what year? I keep thinking of the three, maybe four older females (middle aged versus teens & 20 somethings) who have been murdered since 2008. I know that Mott said he hired him from a temp agency. Where I am, we have agencies that are set up for ex cons to get day labor jobs. Sometimes, after some contingency, those jobs can turn into a permanent position.

 

[SStarr33]

In my part of NC, the towns seem to use Inmates to do landscaping work in public areas. They are out working fairly often during the warmer months. I've often thought that it was a great way to gain work experience that could be used once out of prison if the inmate found a sympathetic boss. I wonder if Bradley had some such experience.

Maybe, but he should still be working on the chain gang because he got life.