Updated with corrected arrest information.
The family of a murder victim is suing Whiteville Police and the State Bureau of Investigation for allegedly revealing in court documents that the victim was a witness to a murder.
William “June Bug” Edwards Jr. was shot to death in the Whiteville Discount Tire Sales service bay in 2023. Natrell Ky-El McKinnies was arrested and charged in the killing.
Edwards was killed days before he was scheduled to testify against McKinnies.
Marlene Kemp, the administrator of Edwards’ estate, says in the lawsuit that Edwards was a witness when McKinnies allegedly shot and killed Dionde Sadler in July 2019. He was arrested in August 2019, and released on bond in 2021.
McKinnies allegedly shot Sadler in retaliation over a previous conflict. His father Nathan McKinnies was originally held for the murder, but later charged with accessory after the fact for helping his son escape and hide from police.
The district attorney’s office did not protest a superior court judge’s decision to grant bond, since McKinnies claimed self defense. The lawsuit asserts that Edwards’ testimony “would have directly contradicted McKinnies’ assertion of self defense.
“The Whiteville Police Department and the SBI, with blatant disregard for his safety, exposed Edwards as a known witness in McKinnies’ 2019 murder of Sadler by disclosing his name through discovery,” the lawsuit claims.
Edwards was working with the WPD and SBI on the case when McKinnies supposedly followed Edwards to the tire business and shot him. Witnesses and investigators said McKinnies fired several shots before his handgun malfunctioned, but he cleared the malfunction and continued shooting.
McKinnies allegedly sent multiple threatening letters to Edwards while McKinnies was in jail here, demanding that Edwards recant his statements to investigators. McKinnies’ brother visited Edwards at one point and asked him to go for a ride, the lawsuit alleges. Edwards refused, and continued receiving threatening letters.
“As the threats against him continued,” the lawsuit alleges, Edwards spoke with Lt. Andre Jackson of the WPD, whom he personally knew, as well as an SBI agent identified as “Carter” working the case. Edwards provided copies of the threatening letters to law enforcement, but Jackson and Carter, “along with other unknown officers from the Whiteville Police Department and the SBI, took no action in response to the threats.”
When McKinnies was released from jail pending trial, the lawsuit says, he argued with Sadler’s twin brother Xavier De’Onde on social media.
Xavier De’onde Sadler, Mack Jenkins, and Kameesha Powell were shot to death in the early morning hours of July 3, at a night club on Broadway Road. Ordashia McFadden was shot but survived. A $20,000 reward has been offered in that case. McKinnies was charged in that murder on Sept. 5, 2023.
Edwards continued sharing threatening messages from McKinnies with law enforcement, and “remained firm in his commitment to cooperate as a witness”, the lawsuit said.
McKinnies was back in court in March 2023 for a hearing on the Sadler murder. When he found out his bond would be revoked to an unrelated arrest on drug and firearm charges, McKinnies “fled the courthouse.”
On April 5, 2023, McKinnies followed Edwards from the Whiteville Wendy’s restaurant to Whiteville Discount Tire on East Columbus Street, where he allegedly shot and killed Edwards. On April 22, McKinnies was arrested for bond revocation and other charges, and charged with Edwards’ death on May 4.
Six days later, the lawsuit says, Edwards’ family met with the WPD, SBI and District Attorney’s Office to discuss the case.
“During the meeting, Assistant District Attorney Minnicozzi, with D.A. Jon David present, admitted, “we dropped the ball,” the lawsuit reads.” The Whiteville Police Department lieutenant lowered his head and told Mr. Edwards’ mother they ‘would do better next time’.”
The loss of Edwards’ testimony has left the courts “struggling to prosecute these cases, as witnesses to McKinnies’ murders are reluctant to come forward.” The family blames WPD and the SBI for not providing protection for Edwards.
The lawsuit seems damages for wrongful death of Edwards, “breach of public duty, gross negligence, and…emotional distress caused by the defendant.”
McKinnies, Javon Bowen and a juvenile were charged with conspiracy to commit murder in December. The three are alleged to have made plans to kill a detention officer and escape jail. McKinnies was transferred to Granville Correctional from the Columbus Detention Center after that incident.
The SBI did not immediately return a request for a comment. Whiteville Police Chief Paul Rockenbach said the WPD did not have a comment on the case at this time.
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