Paul Sheldon Berkley, a 46-year-old male of unspecified ethnicity, was tragically murdered on December 18, 2005, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Paul was a Navy reservist who had recently returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East. His death was the result of a fatal love triangle involving his wife, Monique Berkley, her lover, Andrew Deshawn Canty, and a driver, Latwon Darrell Johnson.
Monique Berkley, 27 years old at the time, had been having an affair with Canty while her husband was
deployed overseas. Upon Paul's return, he suspected the affair and planned to divorce his wife. In response, Monique Berkley plotted to kill her husband to collect on his $400,000 life insurance policy. The plan involved Canty shooting Paul in the back of the head while they were at Millbrook Exchange Park. Monique was also shot in the shoulder during the incident.
Canty, along with Johnson who drove him to the scene, were both arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Monique Berkley was arrested the next day and later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on September 25, 2007. Canty also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Johnson's trial date has not been set.
The case drew significant media attention due to the dramatic nature of the crime and the involvement of a love triangle. The authorities believe the murder weapon was thrown in a river and have never recovered it. The investigation revealed that a gun sold to Canty was test-fired in a Johnston County yard before the killing, and shell casings from that matched the casings found at the crime scene.
Paul Berkley's death was a tragic end to a complex and emotionally charged situation, highlighting the devastating consequences of betrayal and deceit.
