GUILTY NC - Melissa Huggins-Jones, 30, murdered in her Raleigh home, 14 May 2013

[sherbetjello]

I just caught up on this case. I read the wral.com link just now . . .

Sarah Rene Redden – charged in the May 14, 2013, death of 30-year-old Melissa Huggins-Jones – asked for a $250,000 bond so she could get out of jail to be with her young daughter.

I cried for Melissa's daughter reading that.

 

[tlcya]

The judge's response would have been mine as well. Her wish was selfish and had nothing to do with beinga good mother. A good mother would not want to put herself or her child in harm's way.

 

[borndem]

ty for the update on this case SteveP

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County judge on Thursday set a $1 million bond for a 19-year-old murder suspect who's agreed to testify against her two co-defendants – both facing a possible death sentence for killing a young mother inside her Raleigh apartment a year ago.

Sarah Rene Redden – charged in the May 14, 2013, death of 30-year-old Melissa Huggins-Jones – asked for a $250,000 bond so she could get out of jail to be with her young daughter. But Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens denied the request, opting for the higher bond amount, he said, because he is concerned for her safety.


Read more at http://www.wral.com/19-year-old-sus...lls-murder-case/13629062/#MtpYeUiqM3Ms48c6.99

Here's another article about the accused girl getting a bond amt set...
Please excuse if this article has already been linked.

http://myfox8.com/2014/05/08/teen-charged-in-nc-murder-granted-1-million-bond/

 

[Schmaley]

Happy Birthday Melissa! May your family be blessed today as they remember your beautiful spirit!

RIP Beautiful.

 

[borndem]

Here are some local WRAL video articles; please excuse any duplicates:

Arrests bring more questions for Huggins-Jones' family

Read more at http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/12475790/#UgOKEq9L3Vc8OpLs.99



Huggins-Jones murder suspects first court appearance

http://www.wral.com/news/video/12473591/

19-year-old suspect asks for bond in year-old North Hills murder case


Read more at http://www.wral.com/19-year-old-sus...lls-murder-case/13629062/#DA2liYTXLTohTJ8R.99​

​

 

[BankGirl1]

Melissa's birthday was so hard on so many. So many loved her and miss her.

Yes, I too was irrate Miss Redden wanting out on bail to be with her daughter. Melissa had 2 kids and was herself a daughter. Her mom and kids would give anything for just 5 more minutes with her. We are all glad she was not able to make bail.

Trial has been set for March 2015. Miss Redden will be a key witness. She was the "lookout" and they broke into the apartment below hers and scaled the wall to get into her unlocked second story patio door. In fact, I believe one of them had a YouTube video on their computer explaining "How to scale a wall".

On a completely different note: we had a memorial bench put up along her favorite walking trail. Planted two trees in honor of her two kids. That bench has been vandalized three times. People make me sick.

 

[Boodles]

Ah, hugs to you, (((bankgirl)))! What a lovely thing to do, planting trees and setting a memorial bench...

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wral.com/teen-likely-to-plead-guilty-in-north-hills-murder-case/13892844/

A teen charged with murder in the beating death last year of a woman in her North Hills apartment will likely plead guilty to a lesser offense, her attorney said Thursday.

Sarah Rene Redden, 19, has agreed to testify against her two co-defendants, Ronald Lee Anthony, 24, and Travion Devonte Smith, 21. They are scheduled to go to trial next March and could face a death sentence if convicted.

 

[borndem]

Looks like Melissa's murder suspects now have a court date:

Trial dates scheduled for several Wake County murder cases

Read more at http://www.wral.com/trial-dates-sch...ty-murder-cases/14292507/#STMzRtfzvsLyRKoT.99


ETA: Prosecutors are seeking the Death Penalty against the two men arrested in the case.

 

[Boodles]

It will be interesting to see to what extent Sarah Redden testifies against the men, and also whether each man will point the finger at the other. All three of them are scary. There was no reason to kill her. Did they do it for kicks?

I don't understand how how this state decides whether a case warrants the death penalty. It doesn't seem consistent to me. And with both guys in the apartment, I think it's a mistake to seek the DP unless they have explicit evidence of which one did what in regard to Melissa's injuries and death.

The state will not seek the DP for two guys who murdered the UNC professor this year. Why one and not the other? http://www.wral.com/no-death-penalty-sought-in-fatal-beating-of-unc-professor/14289598/

LWOP seems a more pragmatic (potential) sentence, but that's JMO.

 

[borndem]

Agreed, Boodles -- it does seem a bit arbitrary, doesn't it?

Maybe that her daughter was in another room in the apartment made some difference, or that it seemed so random (why would that matter, though?). Maybe that they used such overkill. Dunno. It is in a different county with a different D.A. in the professor's murder case, so it simply could be that. Dunno.

As far as what Redden will say, again -- dunno. She is the only other witness besides the two men, so unless one or both of the men take the stand, who can argue with whatever she says? They usually do make it plain to the witness/co-murderer that any lie, etc., will forfeit the deal, of course.

In the Ryan Hare murder case (the killing of Matthew Silliman), there were three other participants (one of them was not there when the murder was occurring). The two who were there were given reduced sentences in exchange for their testimony. One of them started backing away a bit from what he initially said, so the DT did not put him on the stand, and he still got the reduced sentence. So anyway, there was eyewitness info in this case, and it seemed to me that each of the ones who testified told the truth or very close to it. This was a heinous and cruel killing, but the defendant was 17 y/o when he committed it with the others. So no DP here.

It could be a try at getting the men to take LWOP pleas. Dunno.

Yours truly,
Dunno

 

[borndem]

WRAL Raleigh, NC, News 9/8/2015

Local News

[h=1]Man gets life in prison for 2013 slaying at North Hills apartment complex
[/h]

Raleigh, N.C. — One of three suspects charged in the 2013 brutal slaying of a woman in her North Hills apartment was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole. Ronald Lee Anthony pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the beating and stabbing death of Melissa Huggins-Jones, whose family and friends packed the hearing Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court.
....
....

Anthony, 25, was charged May 22, 2013, along with Travion Devonte Smith, 22, of Raleigh, and Sarah Rene Redden, 20, of Wake Forest. All three were indicted a few days later.


Redden has agreed to testify against her two co-defendants.

Read more at http://www.wral.com/teen-likely-to-...lls-murder-case/14884032/#5qMviyfRVde5BLIj.99

 

[borndem]

This article was in WRAL News 10-15-15:

Local News

[h=1]Trial date set for suspect in North Hills murder case[/h]
A trial date was set Thursday for one of three suspects charged in the brutal 2013 slaying of a woman in her North Hills apartment.

Travion Devonte Smith, 22, of Raleigh, is set to go on trial the first week of January in the beating and stabbing death of Melissa Huggins-Jones.

Read more at http://www.wral.com/trial-date-set-...lls-murder-case/14972412/#utbwEiwRyEYyVLQs.99

 

[Elainera]

Thank you borndem for the updates!

Why does it take so long for trials to begin?

And what about Redden? Will she have a trial too?

 

[borndem]

You're welcome for the updates!

The reason that a trial often takes so long is that there are a lot of trials that are scheduled ahead of it. After LE comes into the case -- as soon as the body is found -- they do their investigative work, and keep working on it. They submit what they have as they go, to the Prosecutor's office. The prosecution folks get the facts/evidence together and they will present it to a Grand Jury so that the GJ can evaluate if the evidence and testimony is good enuff to charge a defendant, arrest him/her, etc., get search warrants, etc. Then the defense lawyers get in on it and they request time to view all the evidence, etc., etc.

The trial is then scheduled -- a courtroom, a judge, and the other trial principals have to agree when they can all devote 2--6 weeks to a daily trial. All that happens at a fairly slow rate -- as we see it, but it makes sense. Usually all that goes along with a murder trial takes about 1 -- 2 years after the actual murder. That's what I see everywhere in the US. No one state/county is much faster or slower than that.

And yes, unless Redden takes a plea, which she may or may not be offered, she will go to trial, too.

So, we wait.

 

[Elainera]

Thank you for explaining in detail! It certainly makes sense.

 

[borndem]

This out today from WRAL:

Suspect in North Hills murder looks to escape death penalty

Raleigh, N.C. — A man accused in the brutal 2013 slaying of a woman in her North Hills apartment was in court Monday morning as his attorneys asked a judge to take the death penalty off the table.


Read more at http://www.wral.com/suspect-in-nort...-death-penalty-/15072855/#MHuQx1SzYqabT03z.99

The defendants are now trying to hang it on "Not Me -- he did it." And that needle is bothering one of 'em.

 

[Elainera]

Didn't think these two tough guys would be scared of a lil needle prick.Cowards.

 

[borndem]

Love and consoling thoughts to Melissa's children. What a time they have had. I'm glad they have each other and other good family folks to be near. It will be tuff on all of them during the holidays.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jury selection begins in 2013 North Hills murder case - Travion Devonte Smith,

http://wncn.com/2016/01/04/jury-selection-begins-in-2013-north-hills-murder-case/