The Ridge Review
Cedar Grove MurderMonday, February 27, 2012 By Nicole Kurtz
On January 25, Alexander Wade and Phillip Johnson were murdered during a robbery at Week in Treasures, a store in Cedar Grove. Wade, a retired sheriff, had been in the store visiting his longtime friend and store owner, Johnson, when two armed men entered. The events that took place from the time the assailants entered the store to when Wade’s wife found the two men deceased are currently unknown. When police and ambulances arrived, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene and Wade was in critical condition. Wade was transported to Duke Hospital where he died soon. Police believe about $200 was stolen from the cash register. Curtis White, 18, and Ladell Alverez Faucette, 22, were suspiciously found at the crime scene and noted as possible suspects. They had returned to the store in order to allegedly obtain more money by looting the bodies, but Wade’s wife was already in the store calling 911 when the two men returned. According to the police report, once police arrived, White and Faucette chose not to flee in order to keep from appearing guilty. After obtaining a warrant, police searched White’s home and found a .22-caliber handgun which matched the gun used at the recent murder; consequently, he was arrested. Faucette was already in jail for violating his probation when police arrested him on the murder charges. The two young men pointed fingers at each other and eventually admitted to committing the murder and robbery. They are both facing two counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon. This murder has hit close to home for many locals who personally knew or had heard of the people associated with the murder. As a result, Orange County residents are waiting restlessly for the verdict for these two young men. |