Five victims ID'd; investigation into Garland Highway massacre ongoing

Oct. 26—Five people were shot and killed at a Garland Highway home in a gruesome scene that is under investigation by Sampson County Sheriff's authorities. County detectives and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation agents were attempting to piece together the events that transpired that left four men and one woman dead and sent a shock wave through the community, which experienced one of the most violent days in Sampson County in recent memory.

According to reports, sheriff's deputies received a call around 12:41 a.m. that the bodies had been discovered inside the home, located at the 10310 Garland Hwy., about 10 miles south of Clinton. Upon arrival, responding deputies discovered four males and one female dead inside the residence, with apparent gunshot wounds.

On Friday, the identities of the five victims, and photos, were released by authorities.

They are: Alfonza Jeffers, 73, of Clinton; Dagoberto Lopez, 33, of Garland; Hector Salazar Lopez, 39, of Garland; Lamar Williams, 58, of Rose Hill; and Jamie Lynn Rowland aka Jamie Thompson, 47, of Clinton.

A homicide investigation by state and local authorities is underway, with sheriff's officials urging the public to come forward with any information they might have.

In a letter posted to Facebook Thursday afternoon, Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said he wanted to dispel any notion that the Garland Highway murders were connected to other violent incidents around Sampson — a separate homicide on Leaf Lane, a non-fatal shooting on Casper Road and an officer-involved shooting in Clinton (see related story on today's front page) — and refute rumors of a single shooter across the cases.

"The murders at 10310 Garland Highway appear to be targeted based on information that we have developed; therefore, there is no community threat," said Thornton, whose investigators were gathering information on how the people killed knew each other and what might have led to an unspeakable and unprecedented loss of life for Sampson.

He offered prayers to those who lost their lives, their families and their friends, as well as the officers involved in a deadly disturbance call at Dogwood Circle in Clinton, whose "lives have been forever changed as well."

"The past 16 hours have been full of tragedy in our great county," the sheriff continued. "In all, we have lost six lives to violent behavior. These acts do not consider the officer involved shooting in the City of Clinton, nor the individual that was shot on Casper Road. All four of these incidents were not related to one another."

"Unfortunately, the rumor mill and social media are speculating that the events are tied together. One rumor circulating is that there is a single shooter responsible for all the incidents," the sheriff continued. "These series of unfortunate tragedies are not connected."

In the Garland Highway murders, authorities received a 911 call from a person who spoke to one victim around 11 p.m. and then found the bodies when they stopped by the home after work, sheriff's officials said.

"A caller called 911 saying they went to the residence and located the deceased inside," Sheriff's Lt. Marcus Smith told The Independent. "Deputies responded and located five deceased subjects — four males and one female."

Investigators from the Sampson County Sheriff's Office and the NC State Bureau of Investigation were processing the crime scene and following up on potential leads.

"No people of interest have been identified," the most recent Sheriff's Office press release noted. "The identities of the known victims are being withheld pending family notification and confirmation of all identities by the Sampson County Medical Examiner."

Sheriff's officials said the preliminary cause of death appears to be related to gunshot wounds; however, the official causes of the deaths will be released by the Sampson County Medical Examiner. The multi-agency investigation is ongoing as authorities were scouring for details on the quintuple murder.

"This is not normal for our community. It is not normal for any community," Sheriff's Capt. Eric Pope said. "It should shock the conscience."

Thornton encouraged anyone with information to reach out to investigators at 910-592-4141.

"No matter how insignificant you may think the information is," he stated in a message Thursday night, "it could be the one piece we need to close the case."

Leaf Lane killing

Sheriff's officials said the Garland Highway case is not connected to the officer-involved shooting in Clinton, nor a homicide on Leaf Lane, which sheriff's authorities responded to hours later on Thursday morning.

According to reports, around 6:47 a.m., the Sampson County E-911 Center received a report of a body located inside a residence at 112 Leaf Lane, Clinton. Sheriff's officials said a male victim was discovered inside a bedroom at the location "with traumatic injuries consistent with an edged weapon."

The residence is in a mobile home park that is used by seasonal agriculture workers, according to authorities. The man, who has been identified as Gerardo Bautista, 33, of Mexico lived specifically at 32 Leaf Lane. Bautista was in the United States under a work visa, authorities said.

Investigators processed the crime scene and were following up on potential leads, which have led to a potential person of interest.

"The murder on Leaf Lane appears to be isolated, with a person of interest that we are attempting to locate," Thornton stated, noting there was also a person of interest in the Casper Road case.

Casper Road shooting

As local law enforcement authorities were investigating seven deaths in three different incidents across the county — two homicide cases and an officer-involved shooting — a fourth incident with yet another victim was reported to Sampson County Sheriff's officials later Thursday morning.

Around 10:32 a.m., the Sampson County E-911 Center received a report of a gunshot victim located at Pleasant Grove FWB Church on Casper Road. The male victim, identified as Justice Elliot, was reportedly involved in what sheriff's authorities described as "an altercation with two associates at another location, when one of the associates produced a firearm and shot him in the buttocks."

Elliot went to the church for help, authorities said.

Elliot was transferred to a regional trauma center for non-life-threatening wounds. The investigation is ongoing, and investigators are attempting to identify the suspects they deemed Elliot's "associates."

As with the other cases, including the Garland Highway quintuple murder and the Leaf Lane killing, both earlier Thursday, along with the Clinton officer-involved shooting, the case is separate and has no connecti0n to the others, Thornton stated.

"The gunshot victim on Casper Road appears to stem from a disagreement among acquaintances, with a person of interest in that case as well," Thornton stated.

See updated stories on other investigations currently ongoing at clintonnc.com.

Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.