John Badgett was sentenced to death by the State of North Carolina for a robbery murder
According to court documents John Badgett would rob Grover Arthur Kiser and in the process would stab him to death. Badgett would tell police that he was attacked first and was defending himself
However John Badgett would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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John Badgett is incarcerated at Central Prison
John Badgett Case
On 3 March 2003, John Scott Badgett (defendant) was indicted for the armed robbery and first-degree murder of Grover Arthur Kizer (victim). Defendant was tried capitally at the 19 April 2004 criminal session of Randolph County Superior Court. Defendant’s conviction for first-degree murder was based on a theory of malice, premeditation, and deliberation, and the felony murder rule. Following a capital sentencing proceeding, the jury recommended a sentence of death. The trial court entered judgment accordingly and arrested judgment on the robbery conviction. Defendant gave notice of appeal pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-27(a).
The evidence admitted during the guilt-innocence phase of defendant’s trial tended to show the following: On or about 20 November 2002, John Badgett went to the victim’s house looking for a place to spend the night. The victim had allowed defendant and another friend to stay the night at his home a few weeks earlier. On this occasion, the victim again offered defendant shelter.
At some point in the evening the victim, who suffered from a mental disability, began complaining to John Badgett about his next-door neighbors. He explained to defendant his belief that the police had failed to respond adequately to complaints he had made against the neighbors. At some point, the victim began yelling about “workers of iniquity” and pointing his finger at defendant.
Defendant argued briefly with the victim, then opened a folding pocketknife and stabbed him in the neck. The stabbing severed the victim’s right carotid artery and damaged his trachea, Adam’s apple, and windpipe. As blood squirted from his neck, the victim ran to a telephone in his kitchen. Defendant followed the victim into the kitchen and slashed the victim’s right arm with the pocketknife, leaving a deep wound. The victim picked up the telephone to call for help, but defendant pushed him away from the phone, knocking him to the floor. The victim fell prostrate, dying within a few minutes.
644 S.E.2d 210
Once the victim was dead, defendant stole the victim’s wallet containing his driver’s license and five dollars in cash. Defendant then ransacked the victim’s house, stealing a substantial amount of cash from a set of envelopes in the victim’s bedroom, as well as a flashlight. Defendant then returned to his residence, where he hid evidence of the murder. Defendant later traded the murder weapon for five dollars worth of crack cocaine.
A few days later, defendant returned to the victim’s house and entered by using the stolen flashlight to break a glass door at the rear of the house. Defendant stole numerous collectable coins of value, some of which he later exchanged for drugs. Defendant also stole clothing, a butcher knife, a cigarette lighter bearing an inscription of the victim’s name, a number of coins in saving containers, wrist watches, and a pocket watch. Finally, he stole keys to the victim’s house and vehicles. Defendant then left in the victim’s truck, leaving the house in disarray with coins strewn across the floor.
Defendant became a suspect when the stolen truck linked him to the murder. Police had recovered the stolen truck, which contained numerous collectable coins belonging to the victim. When police apprehended defendant, he was in possession of one of the victim’s coins. Police brought defendant to the Asheboro Police Department for questioning. Defendant initially lied about the murder, but admitted to staying at the victim’s home approximately two weeks earlier and riding in the victim’s truck. Defendant eventually gave police a signed confession, which described the details of the murder.
Defendant’s description of the murder matched the evidence police later recovered from defendant’s residence. This evidence consisted of most of the items defendant stole from the victim, as well as defendant’s blood-stained shoes from the night of the murder. Additionally, police later recovered the murder weapon and traced it to defendant.
The details of defendant’s confession also matched the story defendant told James Parker and Randy Marks, two individuals with whom defendant was incarcerated at different times following his arrest. According to Parker, defendant admitted that he had stabbed the victim because the victim was “running his mouth.”
The state also introduced evidence that defendant had killed another individual, J.C. Chriscoe, in October 1992. On that occasion, defendant had attempted to obtain marijuana from Chriscoe’s roommate, who sold him tobacco instead. When defendant went to confront Chriscoe’s roommate, Chriscoe answered the door and quickly became angry with defendant. The two exchanged blows, and defendant ran up a flight of stairs to the second floor of the house. Chriscoe, who was unarmed, followed defendant into a bedroom. The fight ended when defendant stabbed Chriscoe in the neck with a folding pocketknife. Defendant confessed the details of this killing to police and provided them with a statement. Police were able to recover the pocketknife used to kill Chriscoe in the neighborhood in which defendant lived at the time. Defendant was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for killing Chriscoe.
https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-badgett-no-895232476
