Gastonia man convicted in 2018 killing
A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of a man whose body was found four years ago along the side of a road near Blacksburg, South Carolina.
William Glenn Bell Jr., 37, of Gastonia, was convicted of killing Kenneth A. Pilgrim, who was also known as Kenneth Black. Pilgrim was killed sometime in early August 2018 in the View Heights Court area, just north of the South Carolina line west of Gastonia.
Pilgrim, who died of blunt force trauma, was a resident of the Cleveland County town of Grover. His body was found by a state Department of Transportation worker mowing grass. His body had been there for several days and family members identified him from body tattoos before the autopsy.
Bell was among five people charged in Pilgrim's death. All five of the suspects knew one another as well as Pilgrim, police said.
Bell pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 to 21 years in prison.
The other four people suspected in the killing remain in Gaston County Jail without bond awaiting trial on the charge of first-degree murder.
They four awaiting trial are:
Billy Wayne Brinson, 38, of Gastonia
Tristan Thomas West, 36, of Gastonia
Wade Nelson Nations, 58, of Gastonia
Carla Jean Black, 30, of Blacksburg, South Carolina
Black and Pilgrim were married in January 2017.
Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing here.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia man convicted of killing Cleveland County man
