The last defendant in the Roanoke Rapids High School vandalism case in May is scheduled to appear in court on December 4.
Ryan Turner is scheduled to appear in the morning session, according to the state court calendar.
The other four defendants — James Carlisle III, Matthew Vandam, Evan Garner and Garrett Tant, who were all seniors at the time of the damage and vandalism — have had their cases disposed of and received deferred prosecution in which they must serve 12 months of unsupervised probation, perform 60 hours of community service during the first 90 days of the deferral period and each pay $1,583 in restitution.
Two of the defendants have paid the restitution while the other two as of today have not.
At the completion of the 12 months of probation, the payment of restitution and completion of community service the four, if they have no further charges, may apply to have the charges expunged from their records.
The Roanoke Rapids Graded School District backed deferred prosecution, along with restitution and community service.
School system Superintendent Dain Butler, in a letter contained in each defendant’s case file, wrote to the district attorney’s office, “I understand none of these young men have a record of prior criminal conviction. Also, the crimes they are charged with, while serious, involve property damage.”
Wrote Butler: “I would like to think that a single criminal act of a young person does not have to define the person. Hopefully, it will be a lesson that they will remember for the rest of their life, but one that will not mar their future.”
The superintendent said in the letter, “I ask that they be treated like other first-time offenders that are accused of vandalism and property damage.”
To that end, Butler requested the court system consider placing the former students in the deferred prosecution program; request restitution to the school system in an amount to pay for the damages and “that each of these young men be ordered to perform community service at a non-profit organization.”
The school system in May called the vandalism and property damage a senior prank that went too far.
According to the true bill of indictment returned in the case, canola oil was poured on the wood floors, stairways and rubber mats accessible to the auditorium.
They also destroyed and damaged 12 door locks in the junior building by squeezing Super Glue into the locks.
Portions of the building were spray-painted and graffiti was also discovered.
The indictment says the estimated damage was $8,400.