JOHNSTON COUNTY – A Garner man has been convicted of killing an 88 year-old motorist in Johnston County. Joe Benton Armstrong Jr. was impaired on cocaine and driving on a revoked license June 7, 2021 when he crashed into the rear of a car killing Bette Ann Liponis of Clayton.
Liponis had stopped her 2021 Chevy passenger car for a red light in the left turn lane of Highway 42 at Son-Lan Parkway near Interstate 40. Armstrong, who was operating a 2000 Buick, made an abrupt lane change from the travel lane to the turn lane colliding with the Chevrolet from behind. The Chevy was pushed forward into a 2017 Toyota driven by Crystal Dawn Penny of Smithfied. Liponis died in the hospital from her injuries. Penny sustained minor injuries.
According to the Highway Patrol, Armstrong was traveling at 50 mph when his car slammed into Liponis’ stationary vehicle from behind.
Following an eight-day trial in Johnston County Superior Court, Armstrong was found guilty by a jury, on August 3, of second-degree murder, driving while impaired, and driving on a revoked license.
Evidence presented at trial indicated Armstrong was impaired on cocaine when he lost control of his car. Armstrong had four prior DWI convictions and a pending DWI charge on the date of the fatal car crash. The defendant’s driver’s license was also revoked at the time for prior driving while impaired convictions.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Lock sentenced Armstrong to a minimum of 27 years 1 month to a maximum of 33 years 6 months in prison.
“The Johnston County District Attorney’s Office is pleased with the verdicts and the sentence imposed,” said Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Slavin. “This verdict sends the right message that impaired driving must be taken seriously and must not be tolerated by anyone in our community.”
“The State wants to thanks Trooper Joshua Kiser and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for their excellent investigation that made this verdict possible. We also would like to thank the jurors for their dedicated service. Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Ms. Luponis, and we hope this verdict brings them some measure of solace,” ADA Slavin stated.
Thanks to the Judge who put this animal away for this period of time. I just hope he dies in jail. Thanks to all LEO’s involved for making this happen and I also hope this brings a little comfort to Bette Ann Liponis family.
This man should never have been allowed to drive after the 1st DWI. This is where our system is lax. His keys and car should have been impounded at the beginning
Would that stop him from buying another car? Or perhaps borrowing someone else’s car? I agree with the theory of your idea but the implementation would be next to impossible.
This infuriates me!!!! There were five previous incidents that this piece of crap should have been put away, but wasn’t. They waited until he freaking killed someone to do anything.
A total of 4 DWI’s and a revoked license and the perpetrator of the second-degree murder of an innocent, elderly woman still had access to his car? The legal system must be changed to ensure that someone with a single DWI conviction immediately loses his or her vehicle for a minimum of a year, and that any future driving by such an individual is done only after a breathalyzer machine, built into the vehicle’s ignition system, assesses the driver to be sober. And committing the murderous offense under the egregious circumstances he did should have resulted in a lifetime prison sentence, not a minimum of 27 years. God bless Bette Ann Liponis.
“Joe Benton Armstrong Jr. was impaired on cocaine and driving on a revoked license June 7, 2021 when he crashed into the rear of a car killing Bette Ann Liponis of Clayton.”
Why should taxpayers now pay for his living expenses? (room, food, medical, counseling, court costs, etc.)