SELMA – A Johnston County Jury has convicted a Clayton man on second-degree murder charges.
Jamie Richard Dupree shot and killed Shantwan “Heavy” Strickland, age 31, at 410 W. Preston Street in Selma on August 1, 2018. The jury also found Dupree guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Selma Police located the victim inside the W. Preston Street home suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the back. Dupree had already fled from the scene but later turned himself in at the Johnston County Courthouse, accompanied by his mother.
After the guilty verdicts, Superior Court Judge Thomas Lock sentenced Dupree to served a minimum of 23 years to a maximum 28 years 8 months in prison.
Johnston County Assistant District Attorneys Keith Gordon and Jimmy Wilson prosecuted the case. They were assisted by Susannah Horton, a student at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law who was certified under the third-year practice rule.
ADA Gordon said he was pleased with the outcome. “We are grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and attention to the law. We thank the lead investigators, Jonathan Solomon and Agent Will Del Carmen, along with all the members of Selma Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their tireless work to bring justice in this case.”
“Our deepest condolences go out to Shantwan’s family members. We hope this verdict helps them find some solace. The Johnston County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent crime,” Mr. Gordon added.
The 2018 homicide was not the first time Dupree had been in trouble with law enforcement. In January 2011, he led Selma Police on a short vehicle chase in his SUV after failing to pull over after an officer clocked him speeding 50 mph in a 35 mph zone. After the brief pursuit, Dupree fled on foot but was quickly captured. He told officers at the time he didn’t stop because he was smoking marijuana and didn’t have a license.
