1986 convicted killer being considered for program that could lead to parole

A Fayetteville man sentenced in 1988 to life in prison in the 1986 shotgun slaying of a 70-year-old in Grays Creek is being considered for a program that could lead to release.

Kenneth Freeman, 60, is being investigated for admission to the Mutual Agreement Parole Program, according to an announcement last month from the state's Post Release Supervision & Parole Commission.

Freeman was 24 years old when he was convicted by a Cumberland County Superior Court jury of first-degree murder in the killing of Jonas Buxton. Buxton was found dead Nov. 24, 1986, in his home off U.S. 301 and Elk Road about a mile east of Hope Mills.

Freeman's co-defendant Elton Crocker, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony, testified that a week before the killing, he and Freeman had discussed robbing Buxton who ran an unlicensed bar from his home. Crocker said Freeman stated they may have to shoot Buxton to get his cooperation during the robbery.

But, Crocker told the jury, before confronting Buxton on the night of the slaying, Freeman climbed atop an overturned 5-gallon bucket outside a window at Buxton's home and fired one shot, striking Buxton in the face. The men then entered the home and covered Buxton with clothes and magazines before stealing weapons a razor, a hair-cutting kit, a knife and a television that Freeman later sold for $150. A pathologist testified that Buxton bled to death.

Crocker, who was sentenced to 33 years in prison for his part in the slaying, died of natural causes in 1995 at the age of 36, about seven years into his sentence.

In addition to first-degree murder, Freeman was also convicted of first-degree burglary and felony larceny. Though the state was seeking the death penalty in the case, jurors opted instead to sentence Freeman to life imprisonment plus 48 years.

While North Carolina no longer offers parole, defendants convicted before Oct. 1, 1994, are still considered for early release. The Mutual Agreement Parole Program, for which Freeman is being considered, is a scholastic and vocational program that is a three-way agreement between the Commission, the Division of Prisons, and the offender, a news release said.

John Bull, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Adult Corrections, said Monday that the investigation into Freeman's eligibility for the program could take months before a decision is made.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Kenneth Freeman considered for parole in Jonas Buxton 1986 killing