Man Sentenced To Life Without Parole In Fatal Stabbing Of Gas Station Employee

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. – A Johnston County jury has convicted a man in the 2022 fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old employee at a Murphy USA gas station near the Interstate 40 and N.C. 42 interchange.

District Attorney Jason Waller announced Friday that a jury on May 21 found Alexander Leon Herrera guilty of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the death of William Hayden Fitzpatrick.

Following the verdict, Resident Superior Court Judge Paul Holcombe sentenced Herrera to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction and an additional consecutive sentence of 60 to 84 months for the robbery conviction.

According to prosecutors, Fitzpatrick was working at the Murphy USA gas station on Nov. 25, 2022 — the day after Thanksgiving — when he was attacked shortly before 5 p.m.

Authorities said Herrera, who was 18 at the time, lured Fitzpatrick to a restroom inside the business, where he stabbed him 19 times before taking his empty wallet and fleeing the scene.

Herrera was later captured nearby by a K-9 unit with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

Despite efforts by bystanders and first responders to save him, Fitzpatrick died at the scene from multiple stab wounds.

During the sentencing phase, members of Fitzpatrick’s family delivered victim impact statements describing their loss while also remembering his close relationship with family members and his kind-hearted personality.

In a statement released after the verdict, Waller thanked jurors for their service during the trial.

“We are grateful to the jury for their time, diligence, and commitment to justice in this difficult case,” Waller said. “While no verdict can restore Will to his loved ones, today’s outcome holds the defendant accountable for this horrific act of violence.”

Waller also praised investigators and prosecutors involved in the case. “This conviction was the result of the tireless efforts of Lieutenant Meredith Langston and
the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, along with the dedication and professionalism of Assistant District Attorneys Jimmy Wilson and Kristin Terwey,” Waller said. “Their commitment ensured that justice was served.”