Staff Writer

More charges have been filed against a Whitmire man accused of participating in an Aug. 18th murder in Union County.

Patrick Troy Rice, 23, initially was charged with murder in the death of Kelvin Davis. Rice, who has addresses on Evans Street and Clark Street in Whitmire, surrendered to the Union County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 26th. Rice now has been charged with two counts of kidnapping and first degree burglary. Lt. Kenneth Riddle said the kidnapping charges were lodged because both Kelvin Davis, 19, and his sister, Tensslie, were held against their will before Davis was shot and killed. Tensslie Davis was tied up by the group of masked men who came into the home she shared with her brother on 147 Woodberry Drive.

Sheriff Howard Wells said robbery was the motive in Kelvin Davis' killing. A box containing cash was taken.

Also, two more people have been charged with assisting Rice when he fled to North Carolina after the murder.

Michael Jeffrey Rice, 25, of 113 Byrd St., Whitmire, and Sierra Dawn Braswell, 21, of 9 Sweetbriar Drive, Gray Court, both have been charged with accessory after the fact of a murder.

Miriam Elise Dickert, 17, of 508 Eaves Road, was arrested Aug. 26 and also is accused of aiding Rice as he avoided the law.

Authorities continue to search for Derrick Ruff, 27, of 146 Grant Acres Way, Prosperity, who is another suspect in Davis' murder.

Couple Arrested

A Union man and woman are accused of having a child with them while they sold drugs.

David Allan Gowan, 25, of 1019 Meansville Road was charged Thursday by the Union Public Safety Department with unlawful neglect of a child, distribution of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance within proximity of a school, having no proof of vehicle insurance, and failure to register a vehicle.

Shannon Leigh Davis, 22, of the same address, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and unlawful neglect of a child.

Gowan's arrest warrant, signed by Investigator Mickey Parker, said he sold a quantity of hydrocodone to an informant on North Duncan By-Pass on May 6.

Ms. Davis' arrest warrant said she worked with Gowan to sell the drugs.

When the transaction occurred, the couple had their child with them and the child was placed in “unreasonable risk of harm,” warrants said.

Gowan and Ms. Davis were taken into custody during a traffic stop on Thomson Boulevard. The vehicle violations were made against him then.

Drug arrest

Fredrick Devon Barrett, 26, of 129 Barrett Drive, was charged Wednesday by the sheriff's office with distribution of crack cocaine, distribution of crack cocaine within one-half mile of a school, distribution of marijuana, distribution of marijuana within half-mile of a school, possession with intent to distribute crack and possession with intent to distribute crack within one-half mile of a school.

A report said Lt. John Sherfield, Investigator Mickey Parker and State Constable Richie Brown provided an operative with $60 to purchase illegal narcotics. The operative called Barrett on July 31 and asked Barrett to deliver to him a quantity of crack and marijuana. The drug sale occurred within one-half mile of Union Christian Day School.

On Aug. 1, officers set up another deal with Barrett at American Inn. As Sherfield arrived, he was spotted by Barrett and he ran. Lt. David Kitchens and Parker apprehended him. They found in his possession a Newport cigarettes box containing crack. Barrett told officers that the woman who drove him to the motel did not know he was there to sell drugs.

Thefts

On 324 Johns St., a woman told Cpl. Jared Gilstrap Wednesday that someone took $40 from her wallet. The victim said she left the wallet on the coffee table and when she woke up her front door was unlocked and several things had been moved, including a safe.

Thursday, a victim on 159 Nabors Road, Buffalo, told Deputy Roger Hill that someone went into the house and took an RCA TV worth $300.

Also on Thursday, a man told Gilstrap that someone cut seven trees on the property he owns in the 400 block of Whitlock Lake Road and took a scrap Chevy truck. The man said the truck had no motor and had been on the property for several years. It is worth around $500.