Sutton Brick murder suspect not eligible for death penalty

KINSTON, N.C. - The man accused in of one of five Kinston murders in the last month is not eligible for the death penalty.

18-year-old Antajuane McNeil appeared in court today.

A judge told McNeil because he was 17-years-old at the time of the murders, the maximum sentence he could face if convicted is life in prison.

Police say he was arrested Saturday morning while he was sleeping in a van parked outside the Kinston-Lenior Public Library.

He's accused of shooting Elwood Hill outside of the Sutton Brick Company in June.

McNeil remains in jail under no bond.

--- Previous Story - Police find Sutton Brick murder suspect at local library ---

KINSTON, N.C. -  Kinston Police arrested a Saturday morning who they believe is a suspect in the murder of Sutton Brick company employee Elwood Hill.

Kinston police responded to a vehicle break in call at the public library on North Queen Street in Kinston about 7 a.m.

They found a library van had been broken into and 18-year-old Antwajuane Jerome McNeil was inside. McNeil was asleep at the time.

He was taken into custody and charged with an open count of murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in relation to the June 17 murder of Elwood Hill.

Library employees told Nine on Your Side they suspected someone had beensleeping in the vehicle for some time.  It was an employee who called police Saturday morning, after noticing one of the van's windows was open. 

--PREVIOUS STORY- Surveillance video could be key in Sutton Brick Company employee murder 

KINSTON, N.C. - Police say a surveillance video may be the key to finding out who murdered a local brick company worker nearly two weeks ago.

Kinston Police released surveillance video of a possible suspect in the murder of Elwood Hill. 

He was gunned down outside the Sutton Brick Company on June 17th.

The suspect was wearing a white tee shirt and black jeans and carrying a black jacket with a hood.

Company owner Watson Sutton is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Call Lenoir County Crime Stoppers if you have any information.

---- Previous Story - Company grieves loss of coworker; offers reward ---

KINSTON, N.C. – Friends and coworkers are still grieving for 63-year-old Elwood Hill who was gun down outside Sutton’s Brick Company in Kinston last Friday.  They’re now offering a reward.

The days start early at Sutton's Brick Company.

"Yeah, construction is an early business," said Watson Sutton, owner of Sutton’s Brick Company, but nowadays they start with one less.

"The guys just took whatever he had in his pockets that day," said Sutton.

For company owner Watson Sutton, they took more than pocket change.  They took a life, a friend and a piece of his family.

"We interacted with each other all day and El would have been a part of the family my whole life," said Sutton.

63-year-old Elwood Hill spent 40 of those years beside Sutton and his family.

"He was real well liked.  People have been calling since Friday," said Sutton.    

Last Friday morning, Hill, a company truck driver, was loading up his truck when someone approached him.

"To take someone's life just to pick their pockets is shocking," said Sutton.

The days following that Friday weren't easy for Sutton, going into detail is still too much for him.  It wasn't any easier for Hill's wife and two sons.

"One's 41 and the other's 37, James and Michael.  He was very proud of his boys," said Sutton.

Police are still investigating what Sutton's calling an early morning mugging.  He says he hopes justice is served so that everyone can have some closure.

"You just keep going and take it one day at a time," said Sutton.

Watson Sutton says by offering a $10,000 reward, he hopes someone comes forward with information that will lead to an arrest very quickly.

If you have any information, call the Kinston Police Department.

---Previous Story---Kinston Police investigating homicide of Sutton Brick employee

KINSTON, N.C.- It's the third murder in Kinston in three weeks.  This time it's a husband and father of two found shot to death where he works, right before father's day weekend.  Kinston Police found 63-year-old Elwood Hill outside the Sutton Brick Company around six Friday morning.

It was 6:15 in the morning, a city sanitation crew making rounds at Sutton Brick, spotted a body lying in the gravel parking lot.

It was 63-year-old Elwood Hill.  Police say he appeared to have been robbed, shot and left to die.

"This type of crime disgusts me,” said Woody Spencer, Kinston Police Spokesperson.  “It's very frustrating."

Police are following up on leads, but there's no sign of who did it. 

Nine on Your Side talked with the owner, Watson Sutton off-camera.  He started tearing up as he talked about the man who worked here for 41 years.  He says Elwood Hill was the most admirable, honest, and hard-working man he ever met.

Sutton says Hill would usually come into work early, between 5:30 and 6 to load and deliver bricks.  Today, he only had one load to deliver before going to the beach with his wife.

"I mean what was the purpose you know,” asked Ed Harris.  Harris works at Bobby's Auto across the street from Sutton Brick and considered Hill a friend.  "He'll be across the street.  He'll holler, I'll hear somebody hollering my name.  He'll wave and throw his hand up."  Harris says he felt safe working where he does, until now.  "I thought that was very disturbing because I'll be at this shop sometimes one or two o'clock in the morning and I'll be down there by myself,” he said.  “The same thing could happen to me.  They really need to do something about this crime rate around here."

"People, it seems these days are different than they were in the past,” said Spencer.  “That's neither here nor there.  This person was murdered and we intend to find out who did it."

We tracked down the criminal activity in Kinston this year.  Hill's death is the fourth murder in Kinston since January.  There have also been 24 robberies and 233 assaults during that time, of those, 47 were assaults with a deadly weapon.

--- Previous Story ---

KINSTON, N.C. - Police are investigating a homicide at Sutton Brick in Kinston. 

Police Department PIO Woody Spencer tells Nine On Your Side that a Kinston Waste & Disposal crew found the body of 63-year old Elwood Hill Friday morning lying on the ground in the brick company’s gravel parking lot. 

Hill was an employee at Sutton’s Brick.  Spencer says he had an apparent gunshot wound. Police tell 9OYS they are investigating a robbery they believe led to the shooting.

The Sutton's Brick owner says Hill worked there for 41 years. The owner says Hill lives in Moss Hill outside of Kinston and has a wife and two sons who live out of state. Sutton’s Brick is located on the corner of Park Avenue and MLK Blvd. That's beside Coastal Wholesale Grocery. 

Investigators are on the scene. A red tarp has been hung to cover the crime scene.

Nine On Your Side's Andrea Blanford is on the scene and will have more details as soon as they become available.