Both defendants in a 2023 drug robbery and murder have been sentenced to prison in Columbus County Superior Court.
Kenneth Bernard Wooten – who turned 27 today (Oct. 27) — and Nicholas Mitchell, 20, were tried seperately for the June 2023 shooting death of Michael Scott, 53, on Whiteville’s west side.
The defendants were sentenced by Chief Resident Superior Court Judge C. Ashley Gore. Wooten, who has an extensive criminal history, was given a sentence of 360 to 44 months in a prison as an habitual violent felon. He will serve a minimum of 30 years, according to a District Attorney’s office press release. Wooten was sentenced Oct. 12. Mitchell was sentenced Monday.
Mitchell—who was 17 when the murder occurred – will serve 144 to 185 months, and a minimum of 12 years behind bars. Mitchell was held in a juvenile detention facility until his 18th birthday, when he was indicted for murder as an adult.
On June 24, 2023, Wooten arranged to meet Scott to purchase drugs, the DA’s office said. Wooten was actually planning a robbery, the DA said and brought Mitchell along to help.
“But Wooten’s intentions went beyond stealing money and drugs,” District Attorney Jon David said.
Wooten ordered Mitchell to shoot Scott, David said, and when Mitchell refused, Wooten took Mitchell’s revolver and shot Scott five times. Scott was taken to Columbus Regional by private vehicle and later died at the hospital.
The District Attorney’s Office said the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the Whiteville Police Department investigated the case.
“While no prison sentence can restore Michael Scott’s life,” David said in a press release, “these convictions ensure that both defendants are held accountable for their actions. These defendants chose greed and violence over the value of human life. The consequences of those choices will now be measured not in dollars or drugs, but in decades behind bars.”
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