Below you will find information about the latest pleas, trials, and important developments in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties. As an office, we are bound by the Rules of Professional Conduct for all North Carolina attorneys, and special rules for prosecutors. Therefore, we often only comment on cases after final disposition.
For all media inquiries and requests, for all three counties, please contact Nathan Key by phone: 828-695-6193 or email: Nathan.D.Key@nccourts.org.
Updates from District Attorney Scott Reilly on Covid-19 April 3, 2020 Update: Chief Justice Cheri Beasley has extended her previous order, which limited court to essential matters only, through June 1, 2020. Our office remains open, and we encourage you … Read More
A Burke County jury needed less than half an hour to convict a Morganton man of first-degree murder that led to a life sentence in prison on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Darius Heasley King, 27, was given the life sentence … Read More
Cody Randolph Bryant, 34, of Old Fort, N.C., was given an active prison sentence of six to eight years following his conviction for trafficking methamphetamine by possession during Catawba County Superior Court. The Honorable George C. Bell, Superior Court Judge … Read More
A Conover man will spend at least 18 years in prison following his conviction for sexual and physical assaults of multiple victims during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, March 2, 2020. Jose Angel Melgar Guardado, 42, was sentenced to … Read More
Ezra Harold Patton, 23, of Morganton, was given an active prison sentence of eight to 12 years following his conviction for multiple crimes during Burke County Superior Court on Monday, February 17, 2020. The Honorable Steve Warren, Superior Court Judge from Buncombe County, imposed the prison term for Patton after he pleaded … Read More
A Hudson man was sentenced to serve more than two decades in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder during Caldwell County Superior Court on Monday, February 17, 2020. Nathan Alexander Vasquez, 25, was given an active prison sentence of 20 to 25 … Read More
A Burke County jury needed less than half an hour to find a Granite Falls man guilty of failing to appear for a sentencing hearing related to a plea entered nine months ago. Christopher Gene Crawford, 36, was given an … Read More
A Catawba man will serve an active prison sentence of six to eight years following his conviction for trafficking opiates by transportation during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. Ellis Eugene Anderson, 58, was given the prison … Read More
Christopher Eugene McCrary, 39, of Conover, received an active prison sentence of five to seven years following his conviction for two counts of larceny of motor vehicle, larceny after breaking and entering, and first-degree burglary. The Honorable Gregory R. Hayes, … Read More
Jeremy Shayne Baldridge, 23, of Valdese, was given an active prison term of 28 to 35 years following his conviction for second-degree murder during Burke County Superior Court on Monday, February 3, 2020. The Honorable Marvin P. Pope, Superior Court Judge from Buncombe County, imposed the sentence for … Read More