April Killings Unrelated

Three local men died violent deaths at the hands of others in April. Police said the homicides were unrelated but did not appear to be random. 

Mark Lewis, 54, of Concord Drive in College Lakes, was shot at his home Sunday afternoon, April 2. Officers found Lewis with a gunshot wound to the chest, said Police Sgt. Shawn Strepay. Police took the alleged shooter into custody at the scene. David Adam Wildhagen, 30, of the 5000 block of Cooper Road, is charged with first-degree murder and was jailed without bond. A pair of homicides occurred within two days of each other late in the month. The death of Jeffrey Brewington, of Goins Drive off Owen Drive, remains unsolved. Police found Brewington beaten inside his home late Friday night, April 22. He had been robbed and police apparently have no suspects. On Monday, April 24, officers responded to a shooting on Alamance Road off Raeford Road. A family member had discovered Dennis Burden, 21, dead. The alleged shooter is Shyheim White, 19, of Dublin.  He was charged with involuntary manslaughter growing out of what police called “negligent and reckless use of the firearm.”  

Serial Rapist #2

Up & Coming Weekly recently reported on a serial rapist who’s wanted for committing 11 rapes after breaking into apartments of local women. 

A second highly-publicized case continues to have the attention of the Fayetteville Police Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit. Sexual assaults committed by the “Ramsey Street Rapist” took place over two years between March 2006 and January 2008. The series of rapes occurred in the North Fayetteville area and remain unsolved.  These attacks were committed by a subject who was dubbed the “Ramsey Street Rapist.” 

DNA belonging to the unknown subject was recovered at three of the crime scenes and has been uploaded to the National Combined DNA Index System. The Ramsey Street Rapist was described as a white male, then about 40, about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. Time-progressed composites illustrate what he would probably look like today, with and without facial hair. Detectives have remained relentless in their search for the “Ramsey Street Rapist” for the last 10 years.  

Local Youth Council is a Winner Several Times Over

The Fayetteville–Cumberland County Youth Council is proof that our youngsters are among the best and brightest in North Carolina. Two were elected to the Executive Board of the State Youth Council during a conference last month. Rebecca Mitchell was elected chairperson and Konstance Woods was chosen as the state council’s secretary. The FCCYC was honored as the state’s most diverse youth council. 

Joshua Jensen was awarded North Carolina State Youth Council’s Most Outstanding Member and Jordan Clayborn was a keynote speaker. FCCYC has representation from high schools across Cumberland County. Its members range from sophomores to seniors. The Youth Council helped with Hurricane Matthew relief and hosted an event to help teenagers prepare for their future and develop leadership skills at conferences across the state and nation. The Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council’s mission is “to serve as a voice for youth in a youth-led organization.”