Angel Arias pleads guilty to second-degree murder in death of Elisha Walker
Published 1:45 pm Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Porshia Walker, the older sister of Elisha Maurice Walker, talks about how the death of her sibling has affected her family. The transgender woman was murdered by known Latin Kings gang member Angel Arias in Salisbury, but her remains were discovered in August 2015 in a shallow grave behind a home in Johnston County. Assistant District Attorney Greg Butler comforts her as she becomes emotional. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Rhonda Alexander, right, who is the mother of Elisha Walker, stands with Assistant District Attorney Greg Butler, to talk about how her life has been affected by Elisha's death. Elisha Walker was murdered and her remains were found in a shallow grave in Johnston County in 2015. Known Latin Kings gang member Angel Arias pleaded guilty to the murder. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Angel Arias pleaded guilty Tuesday to the murder of transgender woman Elisha Walker, whom he was in a relationship with. Walker's body was found in a shallow grave in August 2015 in Johnston County. He was sentenced to over 19 to 24 years in prison. Arias is a known Latin Kings gang member. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Angel Arias pleaded guilty Tuesday to the murder of transgender woman Elisha Walker, whom he was in a relationship with. Walker's body was found in a shallow grave in August 2015 in Johnston County. He was sentenced to over 19 to 24 years in prison. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Rhonda Alexander, right, who is the mother of Elisha Walker, wears a tribute necklace of Elisha. Elisha Walker was murdered in 2014 and her remains were found in a shallow grave in Johnston County. Known Latin Kings gang member Angel Arias pleaded guilty to the murder. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Rhonda Alexander, right, who is the mother of Elisha Walker, stands with her daughter, Porshia Walker, wears a tribute necklace of Elisha. Elisha Walker was murdered in 2014 and her remains were found in a shallow grave in Johnston County. Known Latin Kings gang member Angel Arias pleaded guilty to the murder. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
Porshia Walker, the older sister of Elisha Maurice Walker, talks about how the death of her sibling has affected her family. The transgender woman was murdered by known Latin Kings gang member Angel Arias in 2014, but her remains were discovered in August 2015 in a shallow grave behind a home in Johnston County. Shavonne Walker/Salisbury Post
By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Angel Arias, a member of the Latin Kings gang, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to the 2015 murder of Elisha Walker, a transgender woman whose decomposed remains were found in a shallow grave in Johnston County.
Arias, 25, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of second-degree murder in exchange for the court’s dismissal of a charge of stealing a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 19 years to 24 years in prison.
There was little discussion during the Tuesday hearing about the nature of the relationship between Arias and Walker or details of Walker’s death. Investigators have said Arias and Walker were in a relationship for six to eight months and that Arias tried to break off the relationship. Walker was insistent on seeing Arias, investigators said.
Arias killed Walker to hide the relationship, investigators said.
Elisha Walker was born a man but identified and dressed as a woman.
In July 2015, Rowan detectives, with the use of a cadaver detection dog, searched the area around Arias’ residence on Hemlock Drive. Detectives found out that Arias was being held in the Johnston County Jail on unrelated drug charges. Detectives continued the investigation in Johnston County and identified a residence on Homestead Lane, outside Smithfield, as a possible location of Walker’s remains.
Walker’s remains were found in a shallow grave behind the home in Smithfield.
Rhonda Alexander, Walker’s mother, who was at Tuesday’s hearing, told Arias she does not hate him.
“I will never hate you. God allows everything to happen,” she said.
“I’m not the judge. This is just an earthly judge, but you have a spiritual judge that you will be judged for, and I just wanted you to know that,” Alexander said.
Alexander wore a silver tribute necklace with Elisha’s picture on it.
Walker’s sister Porshia Walker said after the hearing that Arias killed Walker for nothing. She said Elisha Walker’s name will forever live in this town and in other places throughout the world.
She said it’s been hard on her family, but they are in a better place now and the court hearing provided them with some closure.
Porshia Walker said the ordeal opened her family’s eyes to the fact that people need to “love one another, while we can.”
Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.
