By Carol Vaughn —
Three people were indicted on counts of murder and two others were indicted on counts of attempted murder when a grand jury met in Accomac in August.
Rikece Labryan Campbell, 27, of New Church, was indicted on a count of second-degree murder and a related firearm charge in connection with the March 28 slaying of Cervone Copes. Campbell was arrested April 2.
The sheriff’s office at around 12:14 a.m. March 28 received reports of someone shot on Tull Circle in Atlantic, according to Accomack County Sheriff Todd Wessells.
When deputies arrived, they found Copes, 42, of Atlantic, lying in the living room floor, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas Lee Watson Jr., 48, of Chincoteague, was indicted on a count of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a murder in connection with the shooting death of his father, Thomas Lee Watson Sr., on April 30, at a Chincoteague residence.
Watson Jr. confessed to an officer that he shot his father with a handgun, according to a court document. An investigator found the victim’s body with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to the document.
Ambrose Felix Knox, 30, of Parksley, was indicted on a count of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a murder in connection with the May 2 slaying of Joe Northam, 41, of Tasley.
At approximately 1:08 a.m., the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a subject who had been shot on Brainard Street in Parksley.
When deputies arrived, they discovered a man lying on the garage floor with a gunshot wound. Northam was pronounced dead at the scene.
Knox was arrested the same day.
Robert James Northan Jr., 35, of Parksley, was indicted on counts of attempted first-degree murder; attempted second-degree murder; malicious maiming; use of a firearm in the commission of an attempted murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a malicious maiming; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with an incident near Accomac on March 25.
He was extradited from Maryland after he was arrested by U.S. Marshals fugitive task force members in a Pocomoke City, Md. motel on April 23.
He remains incarcerated.
A press release from the U. S. Marshals Office described Northan as a Bloods gang member.
Accomack County Sheriff Todd Wessells at a hearing in July testified he responded to a Tyler Lane residence for a call of shots fired on March 25 at around 2:26 p.m.
Wessells said when he arrived, he found Donald Veney and his grandmother outside the front door of the residence.
Donald Veney “had blood coming from his mouth, his face, and his back,” Wessells testified.
Veney was standing when Wessells arrived, but then “he just told me that RJ had shot him and he collapsed on the porch,” Wessells said, adding the victim had blood coming from his back and “as he was talking, he was blowing out blood from his mouth.”
After Major Shane Childress of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, Wessells asked Childress to get him a pair of gloves and Wessells then proceeded to apply pressure to a gunshot wound on Veney’s back for several minutes until an ambulance arrived.
Veney was transported to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital.
Wessells asked Veney who shot him, and Veney again said RJ, according to Wessells’ testimony.
“I said, ‘RJ Northan?’ — and he said yes,” Wessells said.
Childers and the ambulance crew heard the statement, Wessells said.
The alleged victim, Donald Veney, also was called to testify at the hearing.
He replied in the negative to questions from Accomack County Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan about whether he recalled the incident or being shot, and also replied in the negative to a question about whether he knows Northan.
Louis Jeron Woolford Jr., 40, of New Church, was indicted on a count of attempted first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of an attempted murder in connection with a May 23 incident in which the victim was a family or household member. Woolford was arrested early the next day and is being held without bail.
Tyvon Lyncurtis Smith, 27, of Parksley, was indicted on counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; escape from custody of a police officer; larceny; and resisting arrest in connection with a Jan. 12 incident.
Smith was arrested in Maryland after four weeks on the run, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Marshals Service.
After Smith, who was described in the release as a Bloods gang leader, was taken into custody in Accomack County on a firearms charge, he was able to manipulate and remove the handcuffs used to restrain him during transport, according to the release.
After arriving at the Accomack County Jail, the officer opened the vehicle door to remove Smith. As soon as the door was opened, Smith took off on foot. Multiple agencies responded but were unable to find Smith immediately after his escape.
Because of Smith’s gang ties and danger posed to the community, a multi-agency fugitive investigation was launched, including the U.S. Marshals, Virginia State Police, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation — leading to Smith’s arrest Feb. 7 at a Pocomoke City, Md., residence.
He is being held without bail.
The grand jury also returned the following indictments:
Jonathan Edward Barrett, 39, of New Church, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Bryan Lee Green Jr., 31, of New Church, assault and battery of a household member, third or subsequent offense
Lionel Washington Jones, no age available, of Painter, failure to register as a violent sex offender
Kenneth Corneal Birch Jr., 50, of Saxis, forgery, uttering, larceny
Gary Joseph Fleig, 44, of Hallwood, receiving stolen property, grand larceny
Mark Emanuel Sharp, 46, of Melfa, felony eluding law enforcement officer
Kevin Leigh Taylor, 49, of Leemont Road, Parksley, making a threat
Antwan Maurice Dawson, 31, of Eastville, shooting at an occupied dwelling, felony property destruction
Janice Tracey, 61, of Hallwood, larceny
Harold Edward Gaskins, 49, of Melfa, four counts of felony shoplifting from Walmart connected to incidents in November 2019 and March 2020
Miguel Cobo Raymundo, 37, of Parksley, leaving the scene of an accident
Jermaine Lachon Veney, 46, of Accomac, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Bernadette Mills, 39, of Melfa, larceny
James Kirk Taylor, 42, of Greenbackville, felony shoplifting from Walmart
Roland Milton Sturgis III, 23, of Accomac, felony shoplifting from Walmart
Lee Judson Edwards, 36, of Tangier, assault and batter a firefighter; grand larceny in connection with a Feb. 21 incident.
Jerry Corbett Kellam, 40, of Parksley, abduction
Samuel Randolph Custis, 55, of Painter, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Billy Joe Corbin Jr., 49, of Darien, Ga., threatening to burn a building; threatening in writing (by an electronically transmitted communication) to kill or do bodily injury
Edward Paiger Trader Jr., 38, of Chincoteague, threatening in writing (by an electronically transmitted communication) to kill or do bodily injury
Jeffery Lee Bromley, 52, of Crisfield, Md., felony property destruction, larceny in connection with a Feb. 18 incident at T’s Corner
Thomas Randolph Wells, 31, of Chincoteague, abuse and neglect of a child
Tameka Sharnay James, 34, of Bloxom, credit card larceny, credit card fraud
Travis Watkins Carpenter, 32, of Oak Hall, attempted robbery
Mitchell Thonas Crosby, 55, of New Church, possession of cocaine
Ronald Joseph Judge, 42, of Chincoteague, possessionof heroin
Mary Elizabeth Becraft, 59, of Chincoteague, possession of cocaine
Lisa Ann Villareal, 46, of Atlantic, possession of cocaine
William Thomas Reid, 64, of Painter, driving after having been declared an habitual offender
Jesse Paul Juarez-Peres, 24, of Parksley, DUI, third offense within five years
David Joseph Godbold, 34, of Temperanceville, abduction, strangulation
Kendrah Tae Smith, 43, of Fayetteville, N. C., felony shoplifting from Walmart
Tiara Shardea Miller, 30, of Salisbury, Md., burglary
Curtis Sam McCray, 44, of Hallwood, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
