Murder suspects face additional charges
Published 10:25 am Monday, April 4, 2011
COURTLAND—Southampton County Sheriff’s Office has filed additional charges against five men accused of murdering Darrin Lee on Oct. 7.
“Initially, from the beginning, we knew they were going to have additional charges,” said Sgt. Wanda Covington, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department. “To take them into custody, we initially charged them with murder.”
Bruce Boone, 18, and Darrin Robinson, 20, both of Suffolk; Shahon Cumbo, 21, of Franklin; and Ernest Jones, 22, of Portsmouth were recently charged with three counts of using a gun while committing a felony, kidnapping and attempted robbery.
Rasheed Brown, 21, of Franklin, who was pinned as the alleged trigger man by Boone during a Feb. 8 preliminary hearing, faces the same charges in addition to possession of a gun by a violent felon.
The Sheriff’s Office charged six men with first-degree murder in Lee’s death. The 28-year-old was allegedly shot outside his home in Southampton Meadows mobile home park after being abducted from Man Market on South Street in Franklin.
A judge determined there’s enough evidence for the murder cases to continue against Brown, Robinson, Cumbo and Jones. Boone waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which means his case is also headed to Southampton County Circuit Court.
Murder charges against Dayquan Eley, 18, of Suffolk were dismissed.