A Whiteville man was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 13, to 30 years in prison for a homicide that happened more than three years ago on Ward Street. Kenneth Bernard Wooten was sentenced for the June 2023 killing of a man identified by local outlets by two different name orders — Jason Michael Scott and Michael Jason Scott — at 429 Ward Street in Whiteville.
According to WECT, the Whiteville Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Investigators worked to determine how the victim died, identify who was responsible, and gather evidence for prosecution, the station reports. A separate account from WWAY News 3 confirms the killing happened in June 2023 at the Ward Street address.
How the Case Reached Court
The path to Tuesday's sentencing began over three years earlier. Investigators charged Wooten of Whiteville in connection with a June 24 shooting that killed the victim, according to a July 5 arrest warrant cited by the News Reporter. Wooten, then 24, was taken into custody on the evening of July 3 for a parole violation, the same report notes. An arrest report dated just before midnight on July 5 showed him receiving no bond and remaining in custody while he awaited trial.
Per the seed report from Columbus County News, Chief Resident Superior Court Judge C. Ashley Gore handed down the sentence on Oct. 13 after Wooten was found guilty of second-degree murder in Columbus County Superior Court. Heather Payne Brittain prosecuted the case, while Junius B. Lee served as defense counsel, the outlet reports.
Police Response to the Sentence
Whiteville Police Department Chief Paul Rockenback thanked the State Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney's Office for their work on the case, according to Columbus County News. Rockenback said the department appreciates the time, effort, and commitment the District Attorney's Office devoted to help bring the matter to its conclusion.
The department said the 30-year sentence marks a significant outcome and reflects thorough investigation, interagency cooperation, and pursuit of accountability for violent crime, per the same Columbus County News report. The department also said that no judicial outcome can undo the victim's family's loss, adding that it remains committed to justice and to diligent, professional investigations.
Co-Defendant Still Awaiting Trial
Wooten was not the only person accused in the case. Nicholas J.C. Mitchell was held in a juvenile facility until his 18th birthday, when he was indicted for first-degree murder, according to Columbus County News. Mitchell is still awaiting trial, the outlet reports.
Wooten also faces a felony conspiracy charge stemming from his incarceration at the Columbus County Detention Center, per the same report. Under North Carolina law governing violent habitual felon sentencing, a judge may not suspend such a sentence or place the person on probation, and any sentence imposed must run consecutively with, and begin after, any other sentence the person is serving, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The dossier reviewed for this report does not independently verify whether that specific statute applies to Wooten's sentence, nor does it confirm the exact sentence structure or start date.
