Darius Samata Jamal Atkins, a 29-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on November 25, 2020, in Rose Hill, North Carolina. Darius, affectionately known as "D-Rock," was a loving father and a dedicated employee at the House of Raeford in Magnolia, NC. He was well-loved by his family and friends, leaving behind a legacy of warmth and kindness.
On the fateful morning of November 25, 2020, at approximately 5:23 a.m., Darius was shot three times while taking an early
morning break in the parking lot of the House of Raeford. The assailant, Antwan Terrell Wright, also an employee at the same facility, did not show up for work that day but waited for Darius to come outside. Wright mistakenly believed that Darius had shot up his grandmother's house in Goldsboro prior to the incident.
Following the shooting, Wright fled the scene in a vehicle recognized by witnesses as belonging to his sister. The investigation, led by the Duplin County Sheriff's Office and assisted by the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team, utilized cell phone records and social media data to connect Wright to the crime. Wright was apprehended approximately three months later with the help of the U.S. Marshals.
In March 2024, Antwan Terrell Wright was found guilty of first-degree murder by premeditation and deliberation, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, along with an additional consecutive sentence of 17 to 30 months in the North Carolina Department of Correction. Wright had prior convictions for multiple counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted possession of a firearm by a felon.
The trial, presided over by Judge Henry L. Stevens, IV, saw the prosecution present evidence that included cell phone records placing Wright near the scene of the crime. The conviction and sentencing of Wright brought some measure of justice to Darius's family, who continue to mourn the loss of their beloved son, brother, and father.
