Roderick Wayne Gillette, a 54-year-old African American male, passed away on November 12, 2017, in La Grange, North Carolina. Known affectionately by his family and friends as "Big Money," Gillette's death was the result of a tragic incident that occurred in an outbuilding located on the property at 308 W. Queen Street. On that fateful day, the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of shots fired at around 1:15 a.m.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered a shooting had taken place, leaving multiple victims at the scene.
During the investigation, it was determined that several suspects had attempted to rob the victims at the King Street address. The robbery turned violent, resulting in the deaths of Roderick Wayne Gillette and John Wesley Johnson Jr., another African American male from Sumter, South Carolina. A third victim, James Waters, was severely injured during the robbery. The suspects involved in the incident were identified and arrested over the following years.
One of the suspects, Tiquon Brown, was sentenced to 12-15 years in prison on October 11, 2022, as part of a plea arrangement. Additionally, two other individuals, Jaleik Pridgen and Brianna Wooten, were arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to a homicide. Pridgen and Wooten were accused of helping the murder suspects hide guns and assisting them in leaving town, knowing they had been involved in the incident. The Lenoir County Sheriff's Office had previously arrested three other suspects: Terrance Outlaw Jr., Shonquez Robinson, and Tiquon Brown. Outlaw was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery, while Robinson and Brown faced charges of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The investigation into the incident revealed that the victims had been playing cards in a storage shed when the robbery occurred. The suspects' attempt to rob the victims led to a violent confrontation, resulting in the tragic deaths of Roderick Wayne Gillette and John Wesley Johnson Jr. The case remains a stark reminder of the dangers of violent crime and the impact it has on the lives of those involved and their families.
