Two teens killed; two men charged
By Chip Womick
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
RANDLEMAN - Two teenagers had been shot dead and two men in their early
20s were behind bars charged with murder Tuesday in the wake of an altercation
that Randolph County Sheriff Litchard Hurley said may have started with
a dispute over $30.
"It's a waste," Hurley said. "Two young men."
"You've got at least four different families that have lost loved
ones," he added. "Two that's going to be buried and two going
to jail under no bond charged with very serious crimes."
The shootings occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday in a residence north
of Randleman, apparently when two men forced their way into the home by
kicking open the door, Hurley said.
Casey James Dinoff, 19, of 6975 Adams Farm Road, Randleman, and Christopher
Cameron Voncannon, 18, 7052 U.S. 64 West, Asheboro, were pronounced dead
at the scene of the shooting, the Adams Farm Road residence Dinoff shared
with his mother, stepfather and half brother. The residence on Adams Farm
Road, formerly called Old Walker Mill Road, is a couple of miles north of
Randleman off the U.S. 220 Bypass near the Level Cross exit.
Jailed in connection with the double homicide, under no bond pending
a first court appearance, were George Thomas Wilkerson, 23, 446-B Mt. Cross
St., Asheboro, and Logan Austin Malanowski, 21, 1012 Shamrock Road, Asheboro.
Each was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary
and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Wilkerson was apprehended near the scene of the homicides shortly after
a 911 caller reported at 12:53 a.m. that two people had been shot. Malanowski
was arrested at 8:30 or 9 a.m. at a pay phone in front of Lowes Foods on
West Academy Street in Randleman.
Officers had recovered three weapons at or near the scene of the shootings
by early afternoon on Tuesday, Hurley said. One of the suspects showed investigators
where he had buried two weapons under leaves in a wooded area, Hurley said;
the third was found later in the day by one of the department's canines.
Hurley said investigators have been told by witnesses that earlier in
the day Tuesday, Wilkerson and Dinoff argued over the telephone about $30.
He said detectives are investigating whether illegal drugs might have been
involved in the dispute.
The sheriff said details are still sketchy because each suspect is telling
a different story - with each saying the other is responsible for the shootings.
"That's not unusual," he said. "You never get the same
story, of course, and if they can put the blame off on somebody else, they're
going to do it."
Hurley said that Dinoff and his half brother were in the residence early
Tuesday when two other people, including Voncannon, came to visit. Dinoff's
stepfather and mother were not at home. His stepfather is a trucker; he
and Dinoff's mother were on the road, Hurley said. The half brother went
out of the house down a drive to a gate to let the visitors in - at the
same time that Wilkerson and Malanowski allegedly arrived on the scene,
Hurley said.
Wilkerson and Malanowski had parked their car alongside the U.S. 220
Bypass and made their way over a fence and through a wooded area to the
Adams Farm Road residence, Hurley said.
The three people at the gate saw two men on the porch of the residence,
then saw one kick in the door and then heard gunshots. Two of them hopped
into a vehicle and drove to a nearby convenience store to call 911. Voncannon
headed for the residence.
Officers found Dinoff's body on a couch, Hurley said. He had been shot
in the head and arm. Voncannon's body was found on the floor between the
living room and kitchen.
"The second young man that was killed in the trailer, I think, was
just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Hurley said.
"We've got a mess up there," he said. "I think the mobile
home was shot up pretty good from one end to the other."
Hurley said that, according to a witness, Wilkerson "had been doing
drugs and had been drinking" on Monday. The sheriff also said that
both suspects had been incarcerated in the Randolph County Jail before.
Wilkerson has been charged with kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous
weapon and felony drug charges, among others, the sheriff said. According
to a search of court records, Malanowski has faced charges for minor infractions,
including no operator's license, possession of drug paraphernalia, injury
to real property and misdemeanor larceny.
The sheriff credited his patrol deputies with alert action on the case.
The first officer making his way to the scene was Dep. Todd Blakley.
As he drove down the bypass, he spotted a car parked on the side of the
road and radioed for the second officer, Lt. Barry Hazelton, to check it.
The car turned out to be the one allegedly driven to the scene by the suspects.
The third officer who responded, Deputy Joe Hunt, thought he saw movement
under a tractor-trailer parked alongside the bypass. When he stopped to
investigate, he found Wilkerson hiding under it.
"Patrol solved that case last night for us," Hurley said. "There
were some sharp officers last night. Those guys, I'm proud of them ....
and I'm proud of the dog, too."
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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