Alford plea ends years-long court battle for man charged in Lake Gaston arson, death

Lester Kearney doesn't have to admit guilt, but he will serve another 10 years for his role in the deaths of John and Nancy Alford.
Posted 10/10/2022, 10:39:27 PM Updated 10/11/2022, 12:58:06 AM

FOR THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN

ARRIVES.

>> THE MAN CHARGED IN A DEADLY

HOME INVASION AND ARSON ON LAKE

GASTON AGREED TO A PLEA DEAL

TODAY. HELLO, EVERYONE, AND

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M DEBRA MORGAN AND I'M GERALD

OWENS. THIS NEW DEAL IS A FAR

CRY FROM CAPITAL MURDER FOR

KILLING NANCY OFFERED AND

BEATING HER HUSBAND TO DEATH.

I'M SORRY, BEATING HER HUSBAND

BEFORE SETTING THEIR HOUSE ON

FIRE. THE BUREAU INVESTIGATES

CULLEN BROWDER SHOWS US WHY

THIS DEAL IS ABOUT BOTH CLOSURE

AND COMPROMISE.

>> WHAT A DRAMATIC TURN IN THIS

CASE. LESTER KEARNEY FACE

CAPITAL MURDER CHARGES SINCE

2018 EARLIER THIS YEAR. A JURY

COULD NOT REACH A UNANIMOUS

VERDICT ENDING IN A MISTRIAL.

WELL, TODAY KEARNEY DIDN'T

TECHNICALLY ADMIT GUILT BUT

HE PLED TO LESSER CHARGES

INSTEAD OF A POTENTIAL DEATH

SENTENCE. LESTER KEARNEY WILL

LIKELY SPEND LESS THAN 20 YEARS

IN PRISON FOR SECOND-DEGREE

MURDER AND RELATED CHARGES.

>> THE LEGAL TERM IS ALL FOR

FULLY NOT RELATED TO THE

VICTIMS. DOCTOR NANCY AND

REVEREND JOHN, ALL FOR ONE

COMMENTATOR, ANA, HAS WRITTEN

THAT ALFORD. PLEAS ARE

NECESSARY.

>> TO SPARE INNOCENT DEFENDANTS

FROM THE MERCY OF THE MURKY AND

UNPREDICTABLE TRIAL SYSTEM.

MR. KEARNEY HAS ALREADY BEEN

SUBJECTED TO THAT SYSTEM AND HE

DOES NOT WANT TO DO IT AGAIN.

PROSECUTORS BLAME 2 MEN FOR THE

2018 LAKE. GASTON HOME

INVASION, ARSON AND MURDER.

>> REVEREND OFFERED WHO BARELY

ESCAPED, IDENTIFIED CURRY IN

THE FIRST TRIAL. DOCTOR NANCY

OFFERED DIED IN THE FIRE.

THIS WAS A HUGE WIN FOR THIS

COMMUNITY. DISTRICT ATTORNEY

MIKE WATERS AND SHERIFF JOHNNY

WILLIAMS DEFEND INVESTIGATORS

WORK. HOWEVER, IN A CASE MADE

MORE DIFFICULT WHEN

CO-DEFENDANT KEVIN MUNN

WITHDREW HIS PROMISE

COOPERATION, THEY AND THE

FAMILY DECIDED TO FORGO

ANOTHER. TRY YOU KNOW, WE REACH

COMPROMISES. AND AND THAT'S

WHAT THIS IS IN AN EMOTIONAL

STATEMENT TO THE COURT, THE

OFFERED SON RODGER CHOSE NOT

TO ADDRESS KEARNEY, BUT INSTEAD

HOW THEIR MOTHER MATTER TO SO

MANY WHAT REALLY NOT FAIR.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF US AS A

RESULT OF LOSING HER IS

DEFINITELY NOT THERE. BUT WE

ARE THANKFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO

HAVE SOME DEGREE OF CLOSURE

UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. KEARNEY

FACES A MINIMUM OF 164 MONTHS.

NEARLY 14 YEARS IN PRISON.

AS FOR HIS CO-DEFENDANT, KEVIN

MUNN, HE STILL IS SCHEDULED FOR

A CAPITAL MURDER TRIAL NEXT

YEAR. CULLEN BROWDER, WRAL NEWS

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