— press release courtesy of District Attorney Mike Waters
Louisburg, NC— On Friday, October 06, 2017, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Robert H. Hobgood presided over a special setting of Vance County Criminal Superior Court. This session of court was held in Franklin County for the sake of convenience. District Attorney Mike Waters and Assistant District Attorney Melissa Pelfrey represented the State of North Carolina, and defense attorney, Mary Jude Darrow represented the defendant William Small. Mr. Small, whose case was set first for trial on Monday, October 9, 2017, entered into a plea agreement to Second Degree Murder and received an active sentence of 400 to 492 months in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction for his role in the death of retired Vance County Department of Social Services employee Gwendolyn Leake. Ms. Leake was found murdered in her home on October 24, 2014. This case was investigated by Detective Donnie Thomas of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, under the supervision of Sheriff Peter White, with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.