Alleged UNC Shooter Linked To Duke Murder

Second Suspect In UNC Student President's Death Also Charged With Duke Grad Student Slaying

(CBS/AP)  Authorities in Durham have charged a suspect in the slaying of the University of North Carolina student president with the January killing of a Duke University graduate student.

A warrant filed Thursday charges 17-year-old Lawrence Alvin Lovette Jr. with first-degree murder in the death of Abhijit Mahato. The 29-year-old computational mechanics doctoral student was found in January, shot to death inside his apartment.

Authorities have charged both Lovette and Demario James Atwater with first-degree murder in the death of Eve Carson. The biology and political science major from Athens, Ga., had been shot several times, including once in the right temple.

Durham police Lt. Robert McLaughlin Jr. said early Thursday that officers arrested Lovette at 4:16 a.m. He said the 17-year-old Lovette surrendered to patrol and SWAT officers who had surrounded his home.

Police had surrounded the house hours before after receiving an anonymous tip through the Durham County Sheriff's Office, reports CBS News affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh.

Negotiators worked for more than an hour and a half to communicate with Lovette. He began talking with them after he was provided with a telephone, police said. He later agreed to surrender peacefully.

Police on Wednesday arrested 21-year-old Atwater. He later made an initial court appearance on charges of first-degree murder and was ordered held without bond.

Twenty-two-year-old student body president Eve Carson was found last week lying on a street about a mile from campus in an upscale neighborhood, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

On Wednesday, Atwater, shackled at the ankle and waist and with a public defender at his side, whispered "yes" when asked whether he understood the charge against him. His next court appearance was scheduled for March 24.

"I hope the arrest can ease the minds of some in the community," District Attorney Jim Woodall said.

Messages left with the Orange County public defenders office were not returned Wednesday.

In the day after Carson's death, police focused their investigation on a suspect pictured in several surveillance photos using her ATM card.

Lovette was identified as the driver in ATM surveillance photos, reports WRAL-TV. Police are also investigating whether he was in Carson's blue Toyota Highlander at the time.

Two surveillance photos from a convenience store show a man, whom police said was Atwater, at the time an attempt was made to use Carson’s debit card at an ATM in that store, WRAL-TV reports.

Atwater has a criminal record dating to 2004, including charges of robbery, drug possession and resisting arrest. He was due in court earlier this month on a breaking-and-entering charge. In 2006, he was sentenced to 24 months' probation for possession of a firearm as a felon. He had a court date on that charge the week before Carson's death.

Court records also show Lovette has a criminal background, with charges of breaking and entering and larceny. He is on probation for larceny and is due in Durham court this month on charges of first-degree burglary, felony larceny of a motor vehicle and felony larceny after breaking and entering.

The Board of Trustees at North Carolina offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her death, and police received hundreds of tips after the first two photos were released over the weekend.

Carson was a prestigious Morehead-Cain scholar at North Carolina, where she was remembered by thousands who gathered Thursday at two campus memorial services. Hundreds of mourners filled the First United Methodist Church in Athens on Sunday at a memorial service in her hometown.

The university said Wednesday a third memorial service will be held next week at the campus basketball arena.

[billorights]

They aren"t uniform. They vary from place to place. Washington DC has strict laws. Gun loving Virginia has weak ones. Posted by Iceman_1960 at 11:10 PM : Mar 15, 2008

Then why is the firearm-related murder rate in DC more than double that in Virginia, or any other surrounding state? By your logic, shouldn''t the murder rates be higher where guns are legally available? They are not.

[bigvwman]

Gun control isn''t the answer and wouldn''t have had an impact on the outcome of this case. Gun control laws only keep law abiding people from using guns in illicit manners. Felons have already disregarded those laws and we obviously do a poor job enforcing them.
The system failed miserably as these two should never have been roaming the streets they should have been roaming the hall in their cellblock. The black race well that is a tough one yes they are far behind the other races but why? The caucasion race fought hard for its freedom and fought to move forward in every aspect of achievement they have had. Same with several other races. Instead the black race was given their freedom fought for them by other races mostly white. They have never learned to appreciate what they were given and advance themselves take pride in them selves and move forward. Instead meandering through life as victims of an oppresive nation and living off handouts programs and subsidies. We have allowed them to continue like they have. It is a tragedy of immense proportions that will likely have some very serious side effects on race relations around here. Very sad indeed.

[iceman_1960]

"Yes, it was the point. Your idea of "sensible" laws translates directly to MORE NEW LAWS, rather than enforcing the more-than-adequate laws that are already in place."
- Posted by BillORights at 06:58 PM : Mar 15, 2008
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They aren"t uniform. They vary from place to place. Washington DC has strict laws. Gun loving Virginia has weak ones.

Lets see if good laws that ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE are effective.

No one would be able to ban all guns in America, because of the invulnerable Second Amendment. That will never be repealed.

It is the classic "straw man" argument to equate reasonable laws with the banning of guns.

[billorights]

That wasn"t the point. Posted by Iceman_1960

You need to read a little closer, Iceman.

Yes, it was the point. Your idea of "sensible" laws translates directly to MORE NEW LAWS, rather than enforcing the more-than-adequate laws that are already in place.

[iceman_1960]

"and you can ask any historian what happens to a society where gun ownership are banned"
- Posted by libsrweak at 11:11 PM : Mar 14, 2008
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That wasn"t the point.

The point was applying sensible gun control laws everywhere in the country.

The way laws controlling other Constitutional Rights are uniformly applied.

Like the ones governing the free practice of religion.

And you can ask any historian what happens to a society where religion-based polygamy and temple prostitution are banned.

Answer: the society is improved by sensible laws.

[libsrweak]

f you ask any experienced police officer their opinion regarding civilian firearm ownership, they will tell you that statistics claiming that guns in the home cause more problems than they solve are baloney.

Posted by BillORights at 04:44 PM : Mar 14, 2008
+ report abuse

*********

and you can ask any historian what happens to a society where gun ownership are banned

[yamfam]

You all seem surprised that this happens often with young black males. Obviously, you all have forgotten how far behind blacks are as a race in this country.

Let me give you all a reverse scenario:

A race of people, not black, live in a community with poor schools, little to no economic or social programs, liquor stores on every corner, single parent homes, no mentoring or positive role models, are considered second class citizens, drug infested neighborhoods, and lets throw in the fact that the country has never been really kind to this particular race.

How would white people or any other race behave if confronted with the same situation?
Tell me what kind of people would be produced if they lived in that kind of community?

[dirtyduzzin]

YAMFAM- Spoken like a mature adult.

[yamfam]

Killing someone or wanting someone to die will not take away what really caused this to happen in the first place. Just keep reading your news and you''ll see more of this. There is a reason this continues to happen and race has nothing to do with it. All of us, as a society, are failing to make sure we all have the same equal opportunities, economic, social, and educational support. It''s easy to just say, "Kill them both and hang them so we all can feel better in the morning." That won''t make you feel better because it will happen again. When someone has wronged you, you should forgive them, right? Isn%u2019t that what your bible teaches you on Sundays? Or does that only apply to the book and not the heart. I%u2019ve seen victims parents speak to those that have killed their child. To see both individuals confront each other is something words cannot describe. Surprisingly, both shed tears, well the perpetrator always ask for forgiveness. Most of the time, it is given, while other times not. One woman said, %u201CTo forgive him, will help me heal, so I can move on.%u201D I hope if something like this happens to any of you, or me, that we can have the same courage as those that end up having to face their emotions, instead of hoping someone%u2019s death will resolve it, because it won%u2019t.

[billorights]

These criminals do not fit the mold of the typical serial killer who kills for se.x.ual gratification, like Bundy, BTK or Gacy, although they may be accomplished and prolific killers. Instead, their mentality is more aligned with taking what they want, from whoever might be available and, most importantly, defenseless. When they decide %u201CIt%u2019s payday%u201D (for them) or %u201CI could use a cold 40oz%u201D the hunt is on. There are thugs like this in all stripes. They don%u2019t care much what color their victim is, but some do have, and act on, their own personal racial animosity, which I would not attribute to all. Another common thread among them is that they enjoy violence, but again, only against defenseless victims. For the most part, they are also not as smart or methodical as the typical serial killer, either.

If you ask any experienced police officer their opinion regarding civilian firearm ownership, they will tell you that statistics claiming that guns in the home cause more problems than they solve are baloney.