Suspect charged with delivery driver murder to face jury

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A murder suspect charged with killing a Chinese delivery driver will face a jury this week after awaiting trial for three years.

Cornell Haugabook Jr., 23, and five others were charged in the June 2012 killing of Zhen Bo Liu.

Liu, 60, was found dead in a car near 13th and Queen streets June 14, 2012. Liu was a delivery driver for China King and was delivering $48 worth of food when he was killed.

A grand jury indicted Haugabook, Mustafaa Friend, Rasheed Thompson and Manije Johnson-Martin for first-degree murder in 2012. The grand jury indicted Marvin White and Nathaniel Lawrence on a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Investigators say the group placed an order for delivery from China King on South 17th Street, then ambushed Liu at the corner of 13th and Queen.

On July 9, 2013, Johnson-Martin pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree murder in Liu’s death. Johnson-Martin was 16 when it happened. He was not the shooter, but according to the District Attorney’s office, Johnson-Martin said he did provide the cell phone used to order the food.

In a competency hearing in February the state found they could not seek the death penalty against Haugabook, because he was ruled mentally retarded for having an IQ under 70.

Friend and Haugabook were going to be tried together, but the state and the defense agreed to give them separate trials.

Public Defender Jennifer Harjo will represent Haugabook in this trial. During a Monday morning court session, Harjo presented Judge John Nobles with several pretrial motions.  First, Harjo wanted to have the trial moved to another county, because she said the case has been in the media. Harjo said she did not think Haugabook had a chance at a fair trial.

District Attorney Ben David said the media reports should not have an effect on a fair trial. The judge denied Harjo’s motion, and the trial will stay in New Hanover County.

After pre-trial motion arguments, the attorneys and the judge decided to proceed with jury selection Monday afternoon. The jury clerk will bring in a pool of around 70 potential jurors. From that pool 12 jurors will be picked for this trial with two alternates.

The trial for Haugabook is expected to last for the next couple of weeks. Friend will be tried at a later date.