FIRST ON 3: Plea entered on 2010 case involving witness intimidation

WILMINGTON, NC (NEWS RELEASE) – A local man who broke into an apartment last year and stabbed a man scheduled to testify against him pled no contest in court today. Justin Daniel McKeithan now is subject to being sentenced to 34 – 51 months in prison for assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and intimidating a state’s witness.

McKeithen was apprehended on February 22, 2010 by a WPD officer en route to the scene of the brutal attack. Here are details of the incident as originally released:

Case#: 2010-006278
Time: 1:01 a.m. – Monday morning
Location: 3701 Excalibur Way
Offense: Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury (ADWITKISI) / 1st Degree Burglary and subsequent charges – see below.

Summary: The suspect (Justin Daniel McKeithan, d.o.b. 10-29-1978, of Wilmington) went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, pushed his way in and confronted the ex-girlfriend, her brother and her current boyfriend.

The brother attempted to restrain the suspect, but he began attacking the new boyfriend, stabbing him in the chest and cutting him on the hand before being restrained by the brother. During the altercation the suspect also bit the brother and sprayed him with pepper spray. Then the suspect ran out of the apartment. In the parking lot he encountered a security guard and sprayed him with pepper spray. Then he fled in a vehicle.

A WPD officer responding to the call spotted the suspect’s vehicle and conducted a felony vehicle stop. The suspect was arrested and taken to the New Hanover County detention facility. The stabbing victim is hospitalized for treatment of the chest wound. During the subsequent investigation, detectives learned additional details about the incident, including the fact that the stabbing victim and the girlfriend were scheduled to testify against the suspect in a simple assault case in New Hanover County District Court.

McKeithan is being held on $250,000 secured bond.