State v. McNeill

MARTIN, Justice.

Late in the evening of 27 January 1989, Henry Stephen Elliott was killed by a blow to the head while he was in his mobile home near Bunnlevel, North Carolina. The victim, who had a reputation for bootlegging, lived next door to the Nutgrass Inn, a tavern frequented by local residents of the area.

The state’s evidence tends to show that on the day of the murder the defendant and Archie McLean, Jr. had worked together breaking up automobile transmissions, killing hogs, and making deliveries for McLean’s father. At the end of the day, the defendant was paid $60.00 by the senior…