Juror 3 excused from David Prevatte murder trial following misconduct allegations

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A juror has been excused from the David Wesley Prevatte murder trial in Burgaw following allegations of misconduct during jury deliberations.

On Thursday, the judge began questioning jurors after Juror 2 reported that Juror 3 allegedly said, “I know more about this than I can say.”

Juror 3 was also accused of making comments about Prevatte’s background, including claims that he had been ostracized by his community after being named a suspect in the case.

Several other jurors confirmed that comments had been made, raising concerns from prosecutors about whether the statements could influence the jury’s deliberations.

Following the questioning, the judge excused Juror 3 and decided not to hold the juror in contempt of court.

The judge determined that Prevatte could still receive a fair and impartial trial because the comments did not relate to evidence presented during the proceedings.

Prevatte, 27, is on trial for first-degree murder and first-degree statutory sexual offense in connection with the 2017 death of his 5-year-old niece, Paitin Fields.