Singletary found guilty of second-degree murder, will spend decades in prison
First responders arrived within minutes to find William Singletary kneeling over McMillian’s lifeless body.
COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — District Attorney Jon David announced that on Thursday, April 28, 2022, William Singletary, of Bladenboro, was found guilty of Second-Degree Murder by a Columbus County jury.
After the jury returned their verdict, Singletary was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Claire Hill to 375-462 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.
The charges came about after MonaLisa McMillian jumped from a silver Mazda 6 passenger vehicle, driven by Singletary, on Highway 701 on April 28, 2020.
Witnesses at Williams County Kitchen, off of 701, observed McMillian jump from the vehicle as it was traveling approximately 55mph.
One witness ran into the street to provide aid to McMillian. McMillian leapt from the roadway, ran to a neighboring yard, and collapsed.
A bystander called 911.
First responders arrived within minutes to find William Singletary kneeling over McMillian’s lifeless body.
McMillian never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Columbus Regional Hospital.
Detectives with the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene at 701 to begin an investigation. Detective Paul Rockenbach, lead homicide detective with the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, interviewed Singletary on scene.
Singletary stated that he and McMillian were in a dating relationship, and the two had been arguing about Singletary texting other women.
Singletary stated that McMillian jumped from the car during the argument. While on scene, Detective Rockenbach was informed by another detective at the hospital that McMillian had sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of her back.
Singletary was then arrested.
A search of the vehicle yielded a .22 caliber pistol, from under Singletary’s seat, and a spent .22 caliber shell casing shell casing. Ballistics testing was performed on the .22, the shell casing, and a .22 projectile, that was recovered from the body of McMillian.
Testing revealed that the projectile found in McMillian was fired from the .22 found under the seat of the Defendant.
A medical examiner testified that McMillian had suffered a gunshot wound that perforate her liver, stomach, and diaphragm,
resulting in her death.
It took the Columbus County jury less than two hours to return a guilty verdict for second degree murder.
As a result of this verdict, the Defendant will spend 31-38 years in prison.
