Jury selection begins for death row inmate’s retrial in Whiteville double murder
WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WWAY) — Jury selection began Monday in the retrial of a man who was sentenced to death more than three decades ago for the killings of an elderly Whiteville couple.
Norfolk “Fuzzy” Best, 72, appeared in court Monday as attorneys began selecting a jury for his new trial.
Best was sentenced to death in 1993 for the killings of 79-year-old Gertrude Baldwin and 82-year-old Leslie Baldwin.
Court documents say the couple was beaten and stabbed to death inside their Burkhead Street home in December 1991. Gertrude Baldwin was also raped before she was killed, and approximately $1,500 was taken from the home.
Prosecutors said Best had been doing yard work at the Baldwins’ home on the day of the killings.
According to court documents, “Best’s left thumbprint was found on a paring knife that was smeared with blood and underneath Mr. Baldwin’s body.”
DNA testing conducted in 2015 on evidence collected from Gertrude Baldwin also matched Best’s DNA profile.
Best was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, robbery with a dangerous weapon and first-degree burglary.
Years after his conviction, however, evidence that had not been provided to Best’s defense team came to light.
In 2012, one of Best’s attorneys discovered six boxes of evidence stored in the attic of Whiteville City Hall. Court records showed some of the material had not been disclosed to the defense during Best’s original trial.
The evidence included negative test results from the State Bureau of Investigation indicating no blood was found in Best’s home or motel room.
Court documents also referenced “Bench notes from examiner Leonard parker showing that the thumbprint on the paring knife had originally been assessed as of no comparative value before it was later upgraded to a positive identification.”
That meant the fingerprint found on the knife had initially been determined to have insufficient value for comparison before it was later identified as Best’s.
The North Carolina Supreme Court ultimately reversed Best’s conviction and ordered a new trial.
North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls wrote that she was “disturbed” by the state’s failure to disclose evidence that could have been favorable to Best’s defense.
