Man accused of stabbing Wilmington roommate to death faces New Hanover jury
A man accused of stabbing his roommate to death in November 2019 is facing a New Hanover County jury this week.
In the days after 58-year-old Kimberly Joy Bland was found dead in her Wilmington apartment -- wrapped in trash bags and rolled into a rug -- her friend and roommate, Andrew Webster Boynton, 59, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death.
Boynton’s murder trial began Monday in New Hanover County Superior Court. Twelve jurors and three alternate jurors were selected, tasked with hearing evidence and determining the facts of the case.
Assistant District Attorneys Doug Carriker and Amy White are prosecuting the case for the state. Boynton is represented by Assistant Public Defender Thomas Woodrum.
Background:Murder trial for Wilmington man charged in roommate's death to begin Monday
During their opening statements on Tuesday afternoon, the prosecution and the defense forecasted the case for the jury.
What happened to Bland and who killed her would be for the jury to determine based on the evidence and witness statements, White said.
The state’s first witness took the stand Tuesday afternoon: Joan Perry, a friend and client of Bland’s. Bland cleaned homes, Perry said she was one of Bland’s clients and they quickly became friends.
Perry described Bland as personable, friendly and professional. She said Bland cleaned her home once a month from 2010 until her death. She came sometime during the last week of each month, Perry said, at 10 a.m. “on the dot.”
When Bland didn’t show up to clean Perry’s home on Nov. 4, 2019, Perry “knew something was wrong.”
After Perry’s calls to Bland’s phone went unanswered, Perry requested a welfare check at Bland’s residence at Mill Creek Apartments and the Wilmington Police Department responded on Nov. 6, 2019. Efforts to contact Bland that day were unsuccessful, but police returned the next day and entered the apartment.
After obtaining a search warrant, police searched the apartment and found Bland’s body. It was rolled in a rug that protruded from behind the couch, wrapped in multiple black trash bags sealed with duct tape, according to Bland’s autopsy.
She had been stabbed 28 times, according to the report.
There was no sign of forced entry or a struggle inside the apartment, according to the medical examiner’s report and witness testimony presented in court.
Boynton was apprehended in Richmond, Virginia, on Nov. 8, 2019, after he allegedly fled the state in Bland’s vehicle. He is also charged with felony larceny of a motor vehicle. He was extradited to New Hanover County where he has remained in custody for more than 34 months.
The state is expected to continue presenting evidence Wednesday.
Jamey Cross is the public safety reporter at the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Trial begins for Wilmington man accused of killing roommate in 2019
