WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Four people appeared in a New Hanover County courtroom this morning accused of murdering Joshua Proutey, 19, who was found dead of a gunshot wound in a parking lot near 2nd and Orange streets Thursday night.
At their first court appearance District Attorney Ben David alleged that the four suspects went to downtown Wilmington with the intent of robbing people. David said the four suspects followed a woman from one of the downtown bars until she stopped in a yard and pulled out a phone to call 911, at which point they ran away.
Prosecutors say the four suspects then found Proutey in a parking lot, where they robbed him of $10, his cell phone and a sandwich.
David claims after the suspects robbed Proutey, they ordered him back into his vehicle. When Proutey resisted, David says Quintel Grady, 22, shot Proutey once in the head killing him.
According to New Hanover County Jail and Wilmington Police Department records, Christopher Daniel Cromartie Jr., 23, Daniel Edward Henry, 17, Jasmine Nikole Dottin, 19, and Grady were arrested on suspicion of felony first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, attempted burglary and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Dottin also had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for failing to appear on an unspecified charge.
Cromartie, Dottin and Grady are all being held without bond and could face the death penalty. Because Henry is a minor, he is being held under a $2 million bond and faces a maximum of life without parole.
All four suspects are due back in court January 10, 2013.
Doc Prouty our hearts are with you
Like Moon, I didn’t know Josh, but I did know his father, Doc Prouty, a Corpsman who risked his life to save the lives of anyone that needed his help. Doc is a good, gentle man and the one time that I met Josh at our HMM-262 reunion, he reminded me of his father when he was 40 years younger. Josh was a bright, happy young man with the whole world ahead of him. It is unimaginable how little value some place on a life, any life. I hope if those that the Police have in custody are ones who took Josh’s life, they are found guilty and sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. My desire is not driven in any way by racial prejudices, but by the lack of humanity of those that took this life.
Semper Fi
Bob Harrison
Reading this brings tears to
Reading this brings tears to my eyes. Josh never wanted to show fear and I know he was trying to stand his ground , but what an idiotic reason to take his innocent life. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and the murderer has no idea how many friends and family they affected by taking Josh from us. He was such a joy and light to everyones life. His presence in a room could bring a smile to your face. He was a beautiful person inside and out and I hope the killers pay the price we all are paying now for his loss. Love you Josh and the rest of Johnston County does too. <3
Hold on
While it sounds like all 4 of these people were involved in robbery, only one of them pulled the trigger. I wonder how the other 3 felt about murder, we don't know. Until a trial, we don't even know that any of them are guilty. Comments that they are all animals are unreasonable and premature.
Hold on
Only one of them pulled the trigger, but I am sure that the other three nurderers knew he had a gun. With that being said, the punishment won't even compare to what they deserve.
Hold on
It don't matter how they felt they were all in it together. If they are all found guilty let's go back to public execution than next time some thugs want to try this maybe it will cause them to think before acting.
guestorama
So if the 3 other friends didn't stop it they're not guilty?
Quite a statement on todays society if you ask me.
Vog
Not saying they are not
Not saying they are not guilty if they didn't pull the trigger, but I am saying that we don't know the circumstances. One of the people under arrest is known by a few people I know as a decent, helpful person, and my friends are in shock about his involvement. Not the one who pulled the trigger. There is question if this possibly decent person even knew there was a gun onboard, or loaded, or if the gun was ever supposed to be fired. I'm not making any statement about what happened, but I am saying that we have so few details here and we should hesitate before calling them all animals. Thieves deserve punishment, but I can't say it is appropriate to call a thief an animal. If they all had intent to kill, then I'll agree, they are all animals. But we don't know the details.
Even if they weren't aware
Even if they weren't aware of a gun involved, the were attempting to rob people. That is criminal act enough. They knew what their intents were and it's sad that they took a wonderful life. They deserve to be in jail.
how about.......GUILTY BY
how about.......GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION? would of worked out in everyones favor had they all decided to get off their lazy butts and work for what they need and want, instead they left their homes with the intent to rob someone. doesnt matter what color because every race and color has low life scumb that think its ok to take other peoples belongings or life.
The law treat will treat all
The law treat will treat all of the Defendants the same regardless of whether it was just one of them that pulled the trigger. They all set out with the same intent of robbing an individual with a deadly weapon. Whether any of them actually intended to carry out a murder is hardly relevant and since murdering someone was a natural and foreseeable consequence of the robbery that they set out to commit, I don't have any sympathy if they are locked up for a long, long time as a result.
Acting in Concert will is
Acting in Concert will is the statute for which the 3 co-defendants will be charged therefore they are be charged for the same charged as the shooter.
Do any of these four...
have criminal backgrounds?
Well color me surprised!!!
A quick public records search shows that these thugs ALL have criminal records! Mostly felonies! (i.e., Assault with a deadly weapon, Armed robbery, Burglary, Various drug convictions)
Good job PD
Thank God they were caught. And thank the magistrate for putting them without bond. The least they deserve is to not be able to spend Christmas with their loved ones since they ruined another family's Christmas. These sorry criminals need to get jobs. I hope they choke on the sandwiches they're fed in jail.
murder
Hats off to the WPD. If these individuals are found guilty then they are proven animals and deserve to be treated like animals. I do not like to stir the race debate but I feel strongly that if four white individuals were accused of killing one black individual there would be national outrage. This was a horrific incident and I feel for downtown residents, businesses, but most importantly the family and friends of the victim, as they will never fill the void that was lost that horrible night.
these comments are uncalled for...
American justice says "innocent until proven guilty" so put your nooses away...
Comment "Uncalled for"?
Sorry buckwheet, this is a public forum and we can comment any way we please, anytime we want, about any article we want! Don't forget that.
What's uncalled for is four greedy, ignorant thugs shooting a young man in the head to steal his cell phone and 10 bucks! American justice is about keeping these rabid, dog-like creatures in an 8 x 10 and away from functioning society for the remainder of their lives! You seem to have a lot of confusion between "American justice" and the US Constitution!
Sad
It a sad day when someone is murdered and one cannot give his or her opinion without being called racially degrading names. While I agree with some of what you said I cannot condone your tone to the reply about comments being unnecessary. You see you really didn't know if the writer was black or white and it's obvious that your hate took over when you began to write. This act of violence was wrong and outrageous no matter who did it or no matter what the color of the victum's skin.I'm a black man and I simply hate what happened to that young man and my heart goes out to his family especially his parents. If they are guilty then I hope they get all that they deserve, even death if a jury find that way, but to me from what I can see of the facts so far this is not a race issue but rather an outright thug/criminal issue.You are right we can say whatever we like here on this site about this act I only hope that we can use better judgement when we do so.And yes you may have so confusion understanding our American Justice System and Constitution.
There always someone who
There always someone who will protect the guilty. What's next? You gonna blame the victim?
Why not blame the victim,
Why not blame the victim, the WPD did when it said Mr. Proutey was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wilmington
Anywhere in Wilmington is the wrong place at the wrong time.
Proutey thug murderers
May you burn in hell for what you did to that poor boy. You low life scumbags.
Arrest
Great job by law enforcement.
If there were any persons that assisted these in any way they should be arrested also.
The City should review the concealed carry situation.
Currently, you can't carry on the Riverwalk. That is a bad policy.
Until people can feel safe downtown at all times the City is not being utilized and visited as much as it could be.
Very good job, but please change the Riverwalk ordinance.
Mental health issues
Another Tragedy. Mental health issues really needs to be dealt with at every government level. Another young adult doing senseless evil.
Are you kidding me?
Those who deliberately choose to perpetuate evil have MORAL health issues, not MENTAL.
YOU must have a mental health issue to think otherwise.
If you aren't raised in a
If you aren't raised in a nurtured enviroment, how do you expect them to had morals? Are the schools teaching morals? Is the workforce teaching morals? Where would they learn these morals??
If you don't have a quality home enviroment, these a good chance you will Develope mental health issues. Not all mental health issues lead to murder. But they do have an impact on society. If a child is abused or neglected, there is an almost definite chance they will Develope mental health issues. If they were abused or neglected, what kind of morals could they possibly learn??
It's a two way street. Humans aren't born with morals, they are taught them by the people closest to them.
Any 5-year-old child knows
Any 5-year-old child knows right from wrong, regardless of what kind of home he or she was "raised" in. Even the worst mother or grandmother tells her children or grandchildren to stay away from the "bad" kids. All four of these sorry losers knew what they were risking, for themselves and for the people they stalked. All four deserve, and will get, a minimum of life in prison for this cold-blooded killing. They took the life and dignity of a fine young man. Mr. Josh Proutey chose to work to make his "quick buck" and died at the hands of no-good scum who went out looking to rob someone, hoping to make "a quick buck" as the youngest of their group admitted.
This isn't a mental health
This isn't a mental health issue. This is a crime issue. It involves criminals doing criminal things. They need to be removed from society.
Mental Health Issues?
What mental health issues? These 4 are low-life criminals that need to pay with the highest sentence if convicted.
Good job WPD
Now for the DA and the judge to do their job: push for the death penalty.