Murder verdict: Jury says Wilmington man stabbed roommate to death
A Wilmington man was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2019 stabbing death of his co-worker, roommate, and friend following seven days at trial.
After less than two hours of deliberation, the New Hanover County jury returned its unanimous verdict Thursday.
Andrew Webster Boynton, 59, was convicted of first-degree murder in the November 2019 killing of 58-year-old Kimberly Joy Bland.
Superior court judge Kent Harrell sentenced Boynton to life in prison without parole. A deputy with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office placed silver handcuffs on a gray-haired Boynton.
Trial concludes Wednesday
The killing of Kimberly Joy Bland is the stuff of horror novels.
The 58-year-old woman was stabbed 28 times before her body was wrapped in trash bags, rolled into an area rug and shoved behind the couch in her living room.
The murder trial against 59-year-old Boynton began last week, and the state began presenting evidence against him on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
Assistant District Attorneys Doug Carriker and Amy White are prosecuting the case for the state. Assistant Public Defender Thomas Woodrum represents Boynton.
Bland’s friends and clients of her cleaning business took the stand and testified to the days in early November 2019 when they realized she was missing.
Law enforcement and crime scene investigators testified to the chilling scene they found inside Bland’s residence at Mill Creek Apartments: the smell of decomposition in a cold and otherwise “neat and tidy” apartment.
The doctor who performed her autopsy took the stand to detail how she was killed. A Wal-Mart employee testified to surveillance evidence that Boynton on Nov. 5 purchased black trash bags and an area rug identical to that used to conceal Bland’s body.
Bland’s body was discovered on Nov. 7 and showed signs of decomposition, suggesting some time had passed since her death, according to her autopsy.
Bland’s ex-boyfriend, the man police initially suspected was responsible for her death, told the jury that while their romantic relationship wasn’t stable, he never physically hurt Bland.
Boynton was arrested on November 8, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia, after allegedly fleeing the state in Bland’s vehicle. An interview between law enforcement and Boynton following his arrest was presented in court.
“I don’t have the guts to kill somebody,” Boynton told law enforcement in 2019. “I really don’t.”
Boynton repeatedly maintained his innocence during that interview.
“I did not do this,” he repeated.
The state presented evidence over five days, concluding Tuesday.
Boynton did not testify at trial and the defense did not present any evidence.
The jury in Boynton’s murder trial heard closing arguments on Wednesday morning and began deliberating on his guilt or innocence Wednesday afternoon. The jury was asked to return one of three verdicts in the case: guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, or not guilty.
The 12 returned a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder after less than two hours of deliberation.
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: Wilmington man guilty in roommate’s 2019 slaying, jury says
