GUILTY NC - William “Andy” Banks, 39, Raleigh, met someone about selling his car, 12 Sept 2020 *ARREST*

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Warrant: Missing Raleigh man was murdered in Wake County, body likely found in Virginia | CBS 17

A Raleigh man who went missing last weekend after trying to sell his vehicle was murdered in Wake County before his body was likely dumped in a field in Virginia, according to a Wake County arrest warrant.

[...]

The arrest warrant obtained Friday morning says that the crime occurred in Wake County on Sept. 12, the last day Banks was heard from.

[...]

The warrant released Friday morning does not say if the firearm Merritt was in possession of was used in Banks’ murder.
 
i have family that cared for andy deeply. i never met him but this case has absolutely devastated me from the moment he went missing. i’m thankful (my boyfriend is not) that in my moments of sheer anxiety about andy i had this page to check back on when the news wasn’t updated and there are other strangers that cared
so much. i have lost family members but can’t imagine losing them this way... i know there is a memorial today and i weep for everyone there.
Dear monkeytown,
Please pass along our deepest and most sincere condolences to Andy's family and friends.
I am glad you found Websleuths but I am so sorry it was a tragedy that brought you here.
In case this hasn't been posted yet Leigh Egan from Crimeonline.com has the story about an arrest in Andy's case.
Andy Banks: Suspect charged with murder after police find body of man who tried to sell SUV on Craigslist [Police]
 
This is a local very small newspaper and is just a few miles from the scene. They were alert very early and were on the scene as this unfolded.

EXCLUSIVE: Investigators reveal where Banks's body was found

Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office Investigator Rick Baxter this afternoon exclusively showed the Star-Tribune the exact location where Raleigh and Pittsylvania Police together found the body of William "Andy" Banks.

Baxter and his team found the body at 3800 Irish Road in Chatham.

The remains were found laying in the tall grass.

Banks's body is being transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for an autopsy, Baxter said.

More at story...
 
Those who follow cases here in Wake County know that while justice is not very swift, it can be definitive, especially when the DA proceeds carefully and the judge presiding runs a tight ship.

(just for the record, I miss Judge Donald Stephens, and I bet I'm not the only one).
Most definitely. A truly honorable man!
 
Please forgive if this is a repeat -- it just popped up:

Body found in Virginia believed to be missing Raleigh man; suspect charged with murder

Posted September 17, 2020 3:26 p.m. EDT
Updated September 18, 2020 5:08 a.m. EDT
By Amanda Lamb, WRAL reporter
Raleigh, N.C. — A body found in rural Virginia may be that of a Raleigh man who has been missing since last weekend, and Raleigh police have charged a suspect in the case with murder. [emphasis mine]
[...]
Danville police found Banks' SUV under a tarp parked behind a vacant building in town on Monday, according to an application for a search warrant.
[...]
Cliff Cash, who has known Banks since kindergarten, said his friend frequently used Craigslist to sell things and that he knew how to protect himself.
"This was the middle of the day on Saturday. There’s people walking by on foot. There’s cars everywhere. He probably picked that place because it was the ideal place to meet," Cash said. "All I can think is they overpowered him during a test drive. Who knows, maybe they overpowered him as soon as they got there. Maybe they tased him or whatever."


More here:
Body found in Virginia believed to be missing Raleigh man; suspect charged with murder :: WRAL.com
 
Justin Merritt has been formally charged with murdering Andy Banks. The 39yr-old Raleigh man vanished Saturday after showing a Range Rover in Cameron Village. A body & vehicle were later found in VA, where Merritt lived. #ABC11

(video)
https://twitter.com/AthansABC11/status/1307019340718505984

NEW CHARGES for Justin Merritt. The 34-year-old is charged with murder in the first degree. If found guilty he faces death or life w/o parole. Next court date is in October. Authorities believe he is responsible for the disappearance and death of Andy Banks of Raleigh #wral

EiN3LOUXkAI7Kfp.jpeg
https://twitter.com/keelyarthurnews/status/1307019359303458817
 
Here's what we have so far on Merritt WRT the Wake County, NC, Court dockets -- Please note that all are in "District Court," so it probably isn't that big a deal. As we know, the big procedures, etc., are all in Superior Court.

District and Superior Courts of WAKE County
Listing: 1 - 9 09/18/2020

searchagain.gif



Court................Defendant
.......................Date of Birth
Court Date.....Court Room
....Session...Case Number
Citation Number

District ...MERRITT,JUSTIN,FERNANDO............01/01
09/18/2020...............JAIL..................PM........20CR214286
District MERRITT,JUSTIN,FERNANDO...............01/01
10/07/2020..............JAIL ...................AM.......20CR214120
District MERRITT,JUSTIN,FERNANDO..............01/01 10/07/20..................JAIL..................AM.........20CR214141
District MERRITT,JUSTIN,FERNANDO..............01/01 10/07/2020.............JAIL..................AM..........20CR214142

------------------------------------​
Source:
Calendars / District and Superior Court Query
 
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And here's his Wake County Jail record:

Inmate Detail
Name:
MERRITT, JUSTIN FERNANDO

Age:
34 YEARS OLD

Race / Sex: BLACK / MALE
Arrest Date: 9/15/2020
Release Date:
Next Court Date: 9/18/2020
Mug.aspx

Charge Status Docket # Bond Amount
ROBBERY WITH DANGEROUS WEAPON AWAITING TRIAL 20CR214141 SECURE BOND $0.00
MURDER AWAITING TRIAL 20CR214286 NO BOND
LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE (F) AWAITING TRIAL 20CR214120 SECURE BOND $2,000,000.00
POSSESSION OF FIREARM BY FELON AWAITING TRIAL 20CR214142 SECURE BOND $0.00
-------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
Wake County Sheriff's Office P2C
 
Oh, rest assured, it did.

Clearly, Andy's life mattered greatly to his friends and family.

His life was meaningful, as evidenced by the amount of care and concern expressed by those who knew him, and by their descriptions of who he was as a person.

The fact that some evil cretin chose to callously disregard how precious his life was, in no way diminishes its value.

It's the perp whose life is worthless.

He's the one who's less than zero.

JMO.

Good post, @GordianKnot. Seems that he mattered to many people. We have heard so many wonderful and loving comments and tributes to Andy from many friends who loved him. It sounds like he was someone who would be fun to be around. Those folks, all too often, are the ones who are lost too, too early.

And a man with solid-sounding evidence against him, as far as I can gather, is locked up and awaiting trial. I do wonder about an accomplice -- Merritt had a lot going on WRT the crimes he is said to have committed against Banks -- the alleged murder, the body, the Rover. Lots of tasks. Did he act alone?

According to MSM, Merritt will be appointed a capital offender attorney. This means that the DA may well prosecute him to include the death penalty. This always takes a bit more time with pre-trial procedures, etc., but it could entice Merritt to take a LWOP deal -- and let me emphasize that LWOP in North Carolina is indeed Life Without Parole. Period.
 
When are we looking at for a trial, given the current environment and backlog — at least a year?

I would say probably closer to a couple of years. A right to a speedy trial seldom means there will be one, especially when it is most likely going to be a capital murder trial. JMO
 
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Good post, @GordianKnot. Seems that he mattered to many people. We have heard so many wonderful and loving comments and tributes to Andy from many friends who loved him. It sounds like he was someone who would be fun to be around. Those folks, all too often, are the ones who are lost too, too early.

And a man with solid-sounding evidence against him, as far as I can gather, is locked up and awaiting trial. I do wonder about an accomplice -- Merritt had a lot going on WRT the crimes he is said to have committed against Banks -- the alleged murder, the body, the Rover. Lots of tasks. Did he act alone?

According to MSM, Merritt will be appointed a capital offender attorney. This means that the DA may well prosecute him to include the death penalty. This always takes a bit more time with pre-trial procedures, etc., but it could entice Merritt to take a LWOP deal -- and let me emphasize that LWOP in North Carolina is indeed Life Without Parole. Period.

BBM. I also wonder if and when we may see another arrest in this case. I know that AB was allegedly meeting two guys, JM and his 'mechanic', and unless he drove a beater car down from Danville that he left behind, he very most likely had someone driving down with him. I am certain that if there is another someone, LE probably already has at least a pretty good idea who it is, and may already be making a case against that person. It is said that two people can keep a secret, as long as one of them is dead. I fully expect if there is another arrest, each will be more than willing to throw the other under the bus.

I also have to again applaud LE for the work they did to find the car and get an arrest in this case, and find AB in a remarkably short amount of time (though I am sure it seemed like an eternity to those who love him). I am sure that JM thought he would get away with his crimes, and surely did not think he would be identified so quickly, as it seems he had not yet had time to conceal the car very well, a car that allegedly contained evidence that led LE to know AB was dead, a tarp thrown over it, just a few doors away from where he lived, or had time to discard what may be key evidence, guns, two spent shell casings, which may prove to be tied to the murder, 3 phones (one of which was likely the burner phone he used in his communications with AB).

A nod also has to go to AB's tech-savvy friend(s), who almost immediately knew the phone number of the burner phone used, and may very well have been able to locate AB's tossed phone by pinging it, or by using a find-my-phone app, as JM was dumb enough apparently to toss it without first turning it off.

This whole case is such a senseless tragedy, and my heart goes out to his family and many friends who love him. Stay strong and lean on each other. I believe there will be justice for Andy! JMO
 
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According to MSM, Merritt will be appointed a capital offender attorney. This means that the DA may well prosecute him to include the death penalty. This always takes a bit more time with pre-trial procedures, etc., but it could entice Merritt to take a LWOP deal -- and let me emphasize that LWOP in North Carolina is indeed Life Without Parole. Period.

Indeed @borndem.
I will not be surprised in the least if our DA (Lorrin Freeman) puts forth a death charge on this case. And, I never saw this article before, but I think you'd like it very much.
 
This is just so senseless and tragic. All over a car? SMH.
One innocent man's life gone.
Another man's life (if convicted) on death role or in prison forever.

I can't fathom what JM was thinking when he woke up that day, was he going to take an innocent man's life for just over a car, knowing he'd probably get caught and basically have his life be over with?

I can't begin to understand the psyche of a murderer, how little they value life, of the victim and their own.
 
Indeed @borndem.
I will not be surprised in the least if our DA (Lorrin Freeman) puts forth a death charge on this case. And, I never saw this article before, but I think you'd like it very much.

Has Wake County ever put anyone on trial for the Death Penalty and successfully put anyone on Death Row? I can't think of any, and I've been here 20 years.
 
Has Wake County ever put anyone on trial for the Death Penalty and successfully put anyone on Death Row? I can't think of any, and I've been here 20 years.
In the last 20 years, some defendants who had the possibility of getting a death sentence from a jury in Wake County were:

2019 Seaga Gillard - jury decided DP
2017 Nathan Holden - jury decided LWOP instead of death
2016 Travion Smith - jury decided LWOP instead of death
2012 Jason Williford - jury decided LWOP instead of death
2007 Byron Waring - jury decided DP
2001 Fernando Garcia- jury decided DP
 
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It's not just Andy's life that didn't matter to JM. His own life clearly doesn't matter. Or his kids', or his mother's, or anyone who cares about him. He's damaged them all irreparably. There isn't one person's life who mattered enough to him to stop him from doing this.

The more I think about it, IMO, JM didn't care about his own family either long before he cruelly murdered sweet Andy. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he has caused his own family much grief through the years.

His criminal history shows he is not one who cared about his family even though they cared about him. JM cared about JM.

He thumbed his nose at the law that all felons are supposed to follow. No one knows the criminal justice system any better than felons who have broken laws that put them in the criminal justice system.

He knew it was illegal for him to have any kind of deadly weapon in his possession, but it's obvious JM believes rules, and following laws did not apply to him even before he murdered Andy.

I do hope LE fully investigates where he got his illegal firearm, and from whom. Whoever gave or sold him the firearm should also be held fully accountable. They had to know his criminal background before he came into possession of it. If they did not know, they would have simply told him to legally purchase the firearm himself in his name along with going through the FBI criminal background check required when buying a legally owned firearm. It is a federal crime for a felon to have firearms, and whoever made it possible for him to illegally have one should also be charged, imo.

I'm not sure he had help. He didn't need help in murdering a defenseless man in cold blood, and stealing his vehicle.

He could have showed up telling Andy he planned to purchase the vehicle then, and after the transaction was completed he planned to drive it home. He may have told Andy he would be bringing cash. Andy never knew the man who met him was deadly dangerous.

BUT if he did have help in any form whatsoever everyone who assisted him needs to be held fully accountable too.

I believe all along JM premeditated killing Andy. He knew he couldn't steal his vehicle then leave Andy alive to call the police, and be able to identify him.

If anyone else was involved they too can be charged with murder just like JM. We have seen several capital murder cases where someone else was also charged with capital murder even though they weren't the ones who murdered the victims in a robbery, kidnapping, rape etc. but were in the middle of committing any type of felony with the murderer.

Jmho
 
When are we looking at for a trial, given the current environment and backlog — at least a year?

It depends. If it is a death penalty case they usually take 3 or 4 years to come to trial on average.

So many defendants like JM even when the evidence against them is overwhelming still plea NG.

If the DA goes for LWOP it may be as you posted. 1 to 2 years. That's average even without the pandemic.

It certainly is a DP qualified case no doubt. JM was in the commission of other serious felonies when he murdered Andy.

But we will have to wait and see what the DA decides.

I highly doubt JM will exercise his constitutional right for a speedy trial.

Jmhoo
 

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