William Nathaniel Covington, a 21-year-old African American male, was tragically shot to death on March 31, 2015, outside his home on Lambeth Street in Lumberton, North Carolina. The incident occurred following an argument over a missing firearm between Covington and Walter Morrell McKoy Jr., a 22-year-old male. Covington had reportedly given McKoy a firearm, which was not returned. On the day of the shooting, McKoy went to Covington's residence, and the two men got into a vehicle to talk. During the conversation, McKoy placed a firearm in his lap, and at some point, Covington began to pull a firearm from his coat pocket. A struggle ensued, and the firearm discharged, striking Covington three times in the head. The wounds were in a semicircle about his right ear, with a grouping about 4 inches wide, leading the prosecution to argue that such a neat grouping could not have been formed by accidental discharging during a struggle.
Following the incident, McKoy was arrested in March 2015 and charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm in the city limits, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. McKoy's trial was scheduled to begin on October 9, 2017, but he failed to appear for the trial, leading to an order for his arrest. He was later found and taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force. McKoy was held in the Robeson County Detention Center with bail set at $1.1 million.
In May 2019, McKoy was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and discharging a firearm inside city limits. He was sentenced to life in prison by Judge Robert Floyd. The case was prosecuted by Joe Osman, first assistant to the elected district attorney, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Martha Duvall. The investigation was led by Detective Derek Evans of the Lumberton Police Department, with assistance from Erich Hackney, an investigator with the District Attorney's Office at the time. The prosecution argued that the shooting was the result of an argument over the missing firearm, and the jury ultimately believed their version of events, leading to McKoy's conviction and life sentence.
