Murder victim's house searched

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

Salisbury Police searching the home where a 32-year-old man was gunned down were looking for drugs and records of a drug business.

While the search warrant application shows police were looking for evidence of a cocaine business, they found "green vegetable material" — likely marijuana — in multiple areas of the house.

Terry Dwayne Lark was shot May 23 around 10 p.m. at his home at 226 S. Clay St.

Lark answered a knock on his front door around 10 p.m. and was confronted by two masked men.

He was shot in the upper torso and died a short time later at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

Salisbury Police haven't said officially what they believe triggered the killing.

Chief Rory Collins said today that the SBI lab is analyzing the green vegetable material seized.

Police believe it is marijuana but haven't received the analysis from the SBI.

The search warrant and list of evidence seized on file at the Rowan County Clerk of Court's office doesn't include an estimate of the ounces or pounds of the material seized or the estimated value.

A search warrant police obtained shortly after Lark died specified a long list of items police were looking for and planned to seize if located on the premises.

Detective Todd Sides applied for the search warrant which Resident Superior Court Judge John L. Holshouser Jr. signed at 1:35 a.m. on May 24.

In addition to materials or evidence related to the shooting, the search warrant application included scales, sifters and "instruments used in the bagging and selling of cocaine."

Other items listed "Any notebooks or telephone records showing or recording the names or telephone numbers of persons likely engaged in the illegal sale of cocaine or other controlled substances."

The list of evidence seized includes:

- Several bags of green vegetable material in dresser drawers in the master bedroom. One of the bags is described as "blue cloth Walmart bag with plastic handle with baggies of green vegetable material";

- $654 from a dresser drawer;

- A black digital scale from the mantle in the master bedroom;

- A laptop computer from a coffee table in the living room.

- "Six white crystals" from a mantle in the master bedroom, five red pills from a drawer in a dresser.

Police are continuing to follow leads and have asked for the public's help in solving the murder.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.

Crime Stoppers will provide a reward for information. The amount is tied to the value of the information.