Two suspects wanted in connection to Friday’s double homicide in custody

Published 11:18 am Sunday, August 5, 2018

by Mark Wineka

mark.wineka@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Two of three men wanted by authorities in connection to a double homicide Friday afternoon in a Salisbury park were arrested this morning and are in custody at the Rowan County Detention Center.

According to the inmate list at the jail, Eugene William Black, 24, and Ronald Earl Powers, 32, are each charged with common law robbery, and Powers faces an additional charge of assault inflicting serious bodily injury.

In addition, Black has been charged with larceny from a person in a case related to Guilford County.

For now bond has been set at $100,000 for Black and $75,000 for Powers, according to the inmate listing.

A third suspect wanted in connection to Friday’s homicides is Willie Earl Williams Jr., 32, of Salisbury.

Authorities have issued no statements since Saturday when they released the names and photographs of the suspects and the identities of the victims.

The double killing happened around 4 p.m. Friday at Town Creek Park in the 700 block of East Monroe Street, not far from the Salisbury Civic Center.

Shot to death were Sabrina Annette Curzi, 40, of Salisbury, and Darryl Allen Wright, 34, also of Salisbury.

Police said the shooting occurred during what appeared to be a picnic gathering of people at a gazebo in the park. Reports said three men left the scene after the shooting in a dark, mid-sized car.

According to arrest reports filed in the Rowan County Magistrate’s office, the common law robbery (felony) and assault charges against Black and Powers come in connection with stealing a $100 cellphone and beating a man at the park scene.

The Post is withholding the identity of the man assaulted. The arrest narrative says Black and Powers hit the man about the head and shoulders with glass bottles, and punched and kicked him repeatedly around the torso.

The man suffered a cut to the right side of his head, a cut to a shoulder and bruising of the torso.

While being processed this morning, Black also was charged with felony larceny from a person, carrying a concealed gun and possession of a firearm by a felon in a case from Guilford County that happened Feb. 17.

Greensboro Police had an arrest warrant for Black that said he stole $478 in cash from a woman and her pocketbook, using a gun.

According to reports, Black had been convicted of felonious carrying a concealed gun on July 15, 2015, in Rowan County District Court.

He received 69 days active time in jail and 24 months supervised probation for that offense, reports said.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.