Booking Photo Of Charles Carter From Sweetwater County Detention Facility
A murder in Rock Springs Monday night may have been the result of an argument over a ten dollar debt, according to documents filed in Sweetwater County Circuit court today.
Charles Kenzell Carter, 27 of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested and charged with Murder in the First Degree for the death of 20-year-old Toboris Lee, of Batesville, Mississippi.
According to the Facts in Support of Verified Information filed in court, Lee and Carter were with a group of door-to-door sales people who had arrived in Rock Springs earlier that day.
Officers were dispatched to the Loaf N Jug located at 2558 Foothill Boulevard at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday, May 9th and found Lee on the floor of the store in a pool of blood with people performing CPR.
Lee was taken to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County where he died of his injuries shortly after 10 p.m. Court documents say Lee’s injuries included wounds on the lower right abdomen, mid-chest, and left shoulder. Lee also had lacerations near his left eyebrow and on the upper right side of his back.
One witness told Detective Tony Hall that he had seen Carter and Lee in an argument inside the store shortly before the alleged stabbing. The witness said he broke up the fight and thought the argument was over, but it started up again in the parking lot and resulted in Lee being stabbed.
Another witness told Detective Hall that he saw Lee and Carter fighting and said Carter stabbed Lee. The witness said no punches were thrown and described the weapon as a black folding knife with approximately a six inch blade.
According to court documents, Detective Hall spoke with Carter after advising him of his Miranda Rights. Carter allegedly said he was in an argument with Lee because Lee owed him $10.00 and that Lee did not plan to pay him back. Carter went on to state that he was in the van and “everyone started laughing and it made him mad,” according to the documents filed. Carter then said he got out of the van and he didn’t remember anything else.
Carter allegedly acknowledged a confrontation in the store before the alleged stabbing when he thought Lee was going to hit him and he pushed Lee. Carter then said he went outside when Lee confronted him again.
Carter said he felt threatened and defended himself. He told Detective Hall that he pushed Lee and then blacked out.
According to the Facts in Support of Verified Information, Carter next told Detective Hall that the two were in a tussle on the ground for about three minutes before someone broke them apart and he did not remember where Lee went.
Court documents show that officers found a folding pocket knife at the scene with the blade partially extended and apparent blood and biological tissue on the blade. In addition, Carter allegedly had blood on his shoes and on the inside of his right pocket.
Initial appearance
Carter appeared before Rock Springs Circuit Court Judge Craig L. Jones this afternoon for his first appearance in court since the alleged stabbing. Carter faces a charge of Murder in the First Degree. The charge has possible penalties of death, life without parole, or life imprisonment if convicted.
Judge Jones set bond at $1.5 million cash or surety and ordered that Carter be appointed a public defender.
Carter is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, May 17th at 9 a.m. During the preliminary hearing, the judge will determine if there is enough evidence for the Murder in the First Degree charge to move forward and be bound over to Sweetwater County District Court.