Arrest made in Columbus County murder
COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Law enforcement in three counties are being credited for arresting a man accused of killing a woman in Whiteville last month.
69-year-old Lawrence Thomas is charged with First Degree Murder. He was arrested on March 4 in Elizabethtown after an extensive investigation… and incidents in Columbus and Sampson counties.
On February 21, Columbus County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on McMillan Road in Whiteville in reference to a deceased female. Deputies found 28-year-old Hazel Jamessa Renee Leach of Fayetteville on a bed with a gunshot wound to the head. Lawrence Thomas was named as a person of interest in the investigation. Police say Thomas and Leach were in a relationship.
Later in the evening on that same day, the Clinton Police Department encountered Thomas on Faircloth Freeway in Clinton. A high-speed chase ensued, with Thomas striking and damaging several vehicles before he was stopped and arrested. He was charged with three counts of Hit and Run, Leave Scene of Property Damage, Driving While License Revoked, Felony Flee/Elude Arrest with a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving to Endanger, and Speeding.
When Columbus County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigators learned of Thomas’ arrest in Clinton, they obtained a search warrant for the vehicle he was driving… and his home. They found evidence related to the Whiteville homicide inside both.
Thomas is currently being held in the Columbus County Detention Center without bond.
