Jamaris Pridgen, a 20-year-old African American male from Harrells, North Carolina, was found dead on May 29, 2018. His body was discovered in a shallow grave in the woods off Wilbur Pridgen Road, Harrells, about six miles from where his abandoned vehicle, a Honda Civic, was located. The investigation revealed signs of foul play in the vehicle, leading authorities to suspect that Pridgen had been murdered.
The investigation into Pridgen's death was extensive, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Sampson County Sheriff's Office, Bladen County authorities, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Pridgen's stepfather received an anonymous call stating that his stepson was dead and his body was located in Sampson County. This prompted the stepfather to search the area, ultimately finding Pridgen's vehicle and alerting the authorities.
Lajona Demarrias Carr, a 47-year-old male from Ivanhoe, was later identified as a suspect in Pridgen's murder. Carr was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 17 to 30 months. The trial took place in Sampson County Superior Court, nearly six years after Pridgen's body was found.
The investigation revealed that Pridgen had been shot in the chest, and his body was buried in a shallow grave. Pridgen had last been seen and heard from by his family on May 29, 2018, when he called his mother to report that the truck he was driving had been shot at by someone he knew. Pridgen's family began searching for him the next day and received information on June 2 that he had been killed and put in the trunk of his black Honda Accord. The vehicle was found in a wooded area, cleaned and smelling of gasoline, with blood in the driver's area and trunk.
Carr was seen at the property on Wilbur Pridgen Road where Pridgen's body was found on multiple occasions between May 30 and June 1, 2018. He gave conflicting accounts to Pridgen's family members about his involvement, including claims that he had seen Pridgen and that "Mexicans came back to shoot Jamaris". Carr was already in custody on unrelated charges when the warrant for Pridgen's murder was issued.
The case highlights the complexities and challenges of investigating and prosecuting violent crimes, as well as the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the community in seeking justice for victims like Jamaris Pridgen.
