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September 2, 2009

Task force announces arrest

T. J. ROYAL

An arrest in the murder of one of five Rocky Mount women, whose bodies have been found outside of the city, was announced Tuesday by Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight.

Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, of 219 Anderson St. in Rocky Mount was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Taraha Shenice Nicholson of Rocky Mount.

Nicholson was reported missing on Feb. 22, and her body was found March 7 in the woods off Marriott Road, near Whitakers. Hers was the fourth of five bodies found outside of Rocky Mount's city limits, going back to May 2005.

"The investigation is still ongoing" into the cases of the four other women whose bodies have been found outside of Rocky Mount since 2005, Knight added. He would not comment about whether Pittman's arrest is related to the other four women, citing the "delicacy" of the investigation.

Pittman, a registered sex offender, was convicted in Edgecombe County in November 1994 of having indecent liberties with a minor, a two-year-old. He was released on parole in July 1997.

He was also convicted of a Level 4 DWI in Nash County in November 2006, and was sentenced to probation.

Nicholson's 12-year-old daughter, Latrevier, held onto her one-year-old brother Jamarus as investigators divulged information about the arrest of her mother's alleged killer.

After the brief news conference, Latrevier calmly said that she tries "to think of the good times we had with each other" before her mother went missing. She smiled as she talked about how they would tickle each other and hug each other.

Diana Nicholson, Taraha's mother, fought back tears Tuesday as she sat surrounded by family members while listening to investigators. Pittman's arrest does bring a sense of closure for her, she said. But Nicholson is also thinking of the eight other families who do not yet have answers about their deceased or missing loved ones.

"I just want the other families to know that I'm praying for them also," she said.

Pittman's arrest comes less than two months after the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office and the Rocky Mount Police Department formed a task force with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI investigating the six deaths and the three missing women.

The body of 31-year-old Jarniece Latonya "Sunshine" Hargrove was found June 29 on Seven Bridges Road. The remains of Ernestine Battle, 50, were found March 13, 2008 near Seven Bridges and Wells roads.

The body of Jackie Nikelia Thorpe, 35, was found Aug. 17, 2007 on Seven Bridges Road, and 29-year-old Melody Wiggins's remains were found May 29, 2005 off Old Farm Road, south of U.S. 64.

In February, there were also unidentified human remains found off Melton Drive in the outskirts of Rocky Mount.

SBI Agent Renee Robinson said that "countless hours, days and nights" have been spent on the part of the task force in bringing the case to this first arrest.

"The investigation is still active and is still ongoing," with more than 6,000 man hours put into it, and more than 300 investigative leads taken, Robinson added.

Members of the Edge-combe County Board of Commissioners and Rocky Mount City Council were also on hand to hear the arrest announcement.

Edge-combe County Comm-issioner Wayne Hines, who along with Board Chairman Leonard Wiggins represents Rocky Mount, said that he is thankful "the ongoing investigation has accomplished something, and that we're headed in the right direction."

Rocky Mount City Councilman Reuben Blackwell added that the community is "still anxious to find the perpetrators of the other crimes. There's still much to be resolved."

The Rocky Mount women who remain missing are: Yolanda “Snap” Lancaster, 37; Joyce Renee Durham, 46; and Christine Marie Boone, 43.

Authorities asked that anyone with information call the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office, at 641-7911, or Twin Counties Crimestoppers, at 977-1111.

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