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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 11:09

State will seek death in Gorham case

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The state will seek the death penalty against Tony Maurice Gorham in the murders of Maxine McCrary and Nancy Burgess, Halifax County District Attorney Melissa Pelfrey said today.

Pelfrey declined to comment further. Court documents show Gorham admitted killing McCrary and Burgess and robbing the mother and daughter of $200.
The information is contained in the request for a search warrant after Gorham, 28, allegedly stabbed the women the night of May 14.
The information filed by Detective Charles Vaught of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department says Gorham gave a written statement admitting robbing and killing both victims. It says he used a kitchen knife and took $200.

The documents also clarify McCrary’s son, Jim, was speaking to Burgess and not his 92-year-old mother between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. when Burgess, 65, asked him to hold on because someone was at the door.
Burgess asked Jim to call back and when he did he could not get through.

Halifax Central Communications sent Officer Jason Williams to the scene at 311 Highway 158. Williams could not get anyone to the door and went around the house where he noticed a side door was open.
He called for assistance and Officer Roy Ball came. The officers entered the house and Ball found two women lying on the living room floor covered in blood.
As the State Bureau of Investigation processed the crime scene, Officer Chris Woodruff and his dog Zeusa located a brown patch of hair that appeared to come from one of the victims. The search warrant notes it looked similar to the younger of the two women.

At Gorham’s house, which is next door, investigators found red stains that appeared to be blood on the left side of the rear storm door and found a red stain located on the lower portion of the front door.
Officers seized as evidence the following: A telephone, a cell phone, one earring from the couch, one earring from the floor, a swab from the inside back door, a swab from the outside back door, a gold purse, hair, a burgundy purse and additional swabs.

The following morning around 4:30, Gorham was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed robbery.
Gorham’s girlfriend, Valerie Mayo McGee, helped destroy and conceal evidence and gave officers false information, police say.
McGee, 33, turned herself into police and was charged with two counts of accessory after the fact of first degree murder and armed robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Read 7856 times Last modified on Thursday, 29 July 2010 08:56