Detectives with the Wilmington Police Department have determined that a 20-year-old man—whose body was found near Greenfield Lake in December 2014—was shot multiple times.
According to Detective M.B. Fox, who spoke about the case in a YouTube video recently released by the police department, a woman and her children were walking around Greenfield Lake Park, where she spotted a body–later determined to be Dillon Morris–in a wooded area around South 11th Street and East Lake Shore Drive about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27, 2014.
Morris was shot multiple times, Fox said in the video. Detectives determined that reports of gunfire in the same neighborhood at about 1:30 a.m. the day Morris was found dead “may have been related” to the case. Before the YouTube video was released, the only information released by police about Morris’ death was that he was shot and that his death was “suspicious.”
According to jail records, a month and a half before Morris was found dead, he was released from the New Hanover County jail. Morris was arrested in October 2013, charged in connection with a armed robbery and shooting that injured a 20-year-old man in the 700 block of Campbell Street.
Read related story: Wilmington man arrested in armed robbery, shooting
Morris pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a schedule VI controlled substance in New Hanover County Superior Court on Nov. 14, 2014, according to court records. As part of his plea agreement, all pending charges against Morris were dismissed by the State, including those that stemmed from the October 2013 shooting.
Court records show that charges of one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance, three counts of possession of marijuana and four counts of possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed in November.
Morris was sentenced to three to 13 months in the N.C. Department of Corrections and was given credit for 397 days served in jail. He was released from the New Hanover County Detention Facility the day of his plea.
After his release from jail, Morris was living with family, Fox said in an interview with Port City Daily.
Police create YouTube channel for cold cases
The YouTube about Morris’ death is the first “Crimestoppers” video posted on the police department’s new YouTube channel, according to police spokeswoman Lindsay Rawley.
“This is the first of many unsolved homicides we will feature on this channel,” Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous said. “The goal is to feature unsolved crimes and other police-oriented vignettes. We must use every technology available to help us in solving crime.”
Fox hopes releasing the video will refresh someone’s memory and encourage them to call in with information about the case.
“At this point we don’t have a whole lot of leads to follow up on,” Fox said. “We’re asking for any kind of information that the community might be able to provide–steer us in the right direction. The family is really grieving at the moment. They deserve some kind of answers.”
The full YouTube video about Dillon Morris’ death can be viewed here.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609 or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES. Start your message with Tip708, then type your tip. Or call Crimestoppers at 1-800-531-9845.
Christina Haley is a crime and courts reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at (910) 772-6337 or christina.h@portcitydaily.com.
