Bladen County man sentenced to life without parole for triple murder
ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) — A Bladen County jury has found Taurean Johnson guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder following a two-and-a-half-week trial.
Superior Court Judge Robert C. Roupe sentenced Johnson to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, followed by an additional 273 to 340 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
According to evidence presented in court, Johnson went to a home in Clarkton that he frequently visited, knocked on the door, and was allowed inside. Once inside, he shot four adults.
Bladen County Sheriff’s Office says 30-year-old Catrice Lacole Murchison, 27-year-old Ronnie Kelly, and 60-year-old Guy Lennon Barden died.
69-year-old Hazel Epps survived the shooting.
