By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury man will spend more than 20 years in prison for the May 2007 shooting death of his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend at a Salisbury apartment complex.
Tremaine Outlaw, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Rowan County Superior Court to second-degree murder and the first-degree kidnapping of Christopher Javon Vincent, 24.
Vincent was from Hurdle Mills, a community in Person County near Roxboro. He was shot four times inside the Pine Hills Apartment of Deseree Austin and died at the scene. Austin and Outlaw have a child together.
Along with Outlaw, two others were also present during the hearing ó Alkeen Houston and Cajuan Thomas, both 24.
Rowan County District Attorney Bill Kenerly explained that he dismissed first-degree murder charges against Houston and Thomas.
Houston will serve two years for possession of a firearm by a felon. His sentence will run after he finishes the time he’s currently serving in an unrelated matter.
Houston was convicted in December 2007 of discharging a firearm. His projected release from jail is March 2009. Once he’s served his time for the December incident, he’ll begin his time for the involvement in Vincent’s death.
Thomas, who has been in the Rowan County Detention Center since his 2007 arrest, was given six to eight months for obstruction of justice. He was given credit for time served.
Salisbury Police Detective Mike Colvin testifed about the events of the shooting.
Colvin said that according to Outlaw’s statement to authorities, he felt he was being set up because when he arrived at Austin’s apartment, Vincent was there with a friend.
He felt outnumbered.
Outlaw told officers he shot Vincent once in the stomach area and the gun kept going off.
Outlaw left and claims he did not turn himself in to authorities because he did not know how.
Outlaw was caught at a home in Iredell County about a week following the killing.
He already had been banned from the complex and Austin had a domestic violence protection order, much like a restraining order, against him.
Kenerly said Vincent was shot four times ó once in the abdomen, the right arm and twice in the upper back. All of the wounds would have proven fatal without medical attention.
Kenerly said it appeared Vincent walked into an ambush, with Outlaw carrying out the shooting.
A .22-caliber rifle was available because Houston, who was involved in a drive-by shooting the previous night, had the weapon stored at a nearby apartment.
“We can’t prove the rifle was set out for Christopher Vincent,” he said.
Outlaw found the gun wrapped in a gray T-shirt lying in the grass.
Kenerly said he thought the charges against Outlaw were substantially inadequate.
He added the kidnapping charge because Outlaw “restrained Christopher Vincent’s movement,” he said.
Kenerly also tried to have Houston charged federally through a program for repeat offenders who have weapons violations. If they are convicted, they face stiffer federal penalties.
But Houston was not eligible for the program.
“If Alkeen Houston hadn’t had the gun there, this problem would’ve amounted to a fist fight between the two,” Kenerly said.
He said Vincent’s family wasn’t particularly happy with the plea agreement. Kenerly explained to them that if the case had gone to trial, Outlaw’s fate would have been in the hands of a jury, making the outcome uncertain.
Nathaniel Vincent, Christopher Vincent’s uncle, spoke for the family.
“It’s a very sad situation,” he said.
Nathaniel Vincent admitted that, like other young men, his nephew had troubles. But overall, he was a good kid.
“You see it on TV, but you don’t expect it to come to your door,” he said.
Vincent said he had mixed emotions about the whole situation.
“My faith tells me we should forgive. I guess this is the beginning of it, today, of us forgiving and moving on,” he said.
Vincent thanked the judge for the opportunity to speak and for Kenerly’s work on the case.
Thomas’ attorney, W. Terry Sherrill of Charlotte, said his client had no prior record before this incident.
Thomas was questioned by law enforcement as a witness to the crime. Authorities later discovered he’d seen Outlaw with the rifle and knowingly lied to police. Outlaw and Thomas were friends.
Houston’s attorney, Mocksville’s Lori I. Hamilton-Dewitt, said her client tried to stop Outlaw from using the gun.
She said Houston placed the rifle inside one of the apartments and someone removed it. There were several people milling around the complex before the shooting, Hamilton-Dewitt said. She said people were passing around the rifle.
“Mr. Houston became uncomfortable with people looking at it. He removed it and took it and laid it in the grass,” she said.
Hamilton-Dewitt said while Houston talked to a woman, Outlaw took the rifle.
She asked Judge Susan Taylor to grant Houston intensive probation and for his sentence to begin Thursday.
Taylor, of Stanly County, denied that request. She said Houston’s sentence would begin at the expiration of his current one.
Houston’s father and girlfriend were present in court but didn’t speak.
James Outlaw, Tremaine Outlaw’s father, spoke briefly, saying he was sorry for the Vincents’ loss.
“I hate it happened and I’m very sorry,” he said through tears.
He quickly hugged a few members of the Vincent family.
Patrick Currie, Outlaw’s attorney from Albemarle, said his client didn’t ambush the victim. Currie said Deseree Austin called his client, knowing Vincent would be at her apartment.
Currie said it was clear Austin and Outlaw had a very tumultous relationship.
Outlaw indicated to his attorney that he was not proud of his actions and “accepted responsibility,” Currie said.
Outlaw was also ordered to pay $7,911.38 in restitution to Vincent’s grandmother, Gladys Vincent. One family member said she had raised Christopher Vincent.