Catherine Ruth Ballard, a 24-year-old woman from Wilmington, NC, was tragically killed on April 1, 2017, in the parking lot of Independence Mall. The incident occurred around 1:22 p.m. near the front entrance of the mall. According to court records, Catherine Ruth Ballard struggled with a man named Darius Nelson, 26, before being shot by Traneta Campbell, 19. Security cameras captured footage of Ballard first struggling with Nelson while Campbell sat in a nearby vehicle.
When Ballard separated from Nelson and began to walk away, Campbell emerged from the vehicle and began firing a pistol at Ballard. Campbell then got back into the passenger seat, and the vehicle left the scene. Both Campbell and Nelson were arrested on April 3 in a shed behind a home on Monroe Street. The vehicle used in the killing was also found at the scene. Campbell and Nelson confirmed that the vehicle was the one they were in during the incident. It is not immediately clear if Campbell and Ballard knew each other, but an official stated that Ballard and Nelson had some type of relationship. Campbell is being held without bail in the New Hanover County jail, while Nelson's bail is set at $500,000.
In the aftermath of the incident, Traneta Campbell was charged with first-degree murder, and Darius Nelson was charged with accessory after the fact. The court documents revealed that Ballard and Nelson had broken up two weeks prior to the incident, under allegations that Nelson was cheating. Tensions had been high in the days leading up to the killing. On the day of the incident, Ballard ran into Nelson and Campbell, his new girlfriend, inside Independence Mall. Witnesses reported that Nelson was seen holding Ballard back as she slapped at Campbell. The confrontation continued outside, where surveillance cameras captured the entire incident. As Ballard turned and walked away from the car, Campbell emerged with a gun and fired five shots, striking Ballard once in the back of the head. Ballard was pronounced dead on arrival at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
Traneta Campbell later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied property. She was sentenced to between 31 and 40 years in prison. During the court proceedings, Campbell expressed remorse for her actions and asked for forgiveness. Several members of Ballard's family and friends spoke to the judge, describing Ballard as hardworking, loving, and respectful. Ballard's great-aunt Jennifer Jacobs described her as a "good girl" and a "go-getter." At the time of her death, Ballard was enrolled full-time at Cape Fear Community College and was working part-time in the cafeteria at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. The void left by her death will never be filled, and her family and friends continue to mourn her loss.
