The man charged with killing 3 Muslims was in possession of the weapon that he has used in killing the 3 North Carolina students, along with gunshot residue, one of the victim’s blood smeared on his pants, according to the prosecutor in court.
Judge Orlando Hudson Jr. of the apex court has ruled on Monday that Craig Stephen Hicks may face a death penalty trial.
On February 10th, 2015 he has been charged with three counts of first-degree, killings of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21 and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19.
According to the police, Hicks, in his 40s, has been motivated by dispute that had been going for a long time over parking spaces at the Chapel Hill condominium complex where he had been living next to Barakat and his family.
The families of the victims had been difficult to persuade as they feel the target had taken place because they belong to the Islamic community and hence and pushed for hate-crime charges for him.
Assistant District Attorney, Jim Dornfried said he has been arrested with the gun in possession and ballistics had matched the handgun to shell casings that had been recovered from his apartment in the complex. He also had gunshot residue on his hands and blood of one of the victim smeared all over his pants.
The prosecutor had asked for a death penalty. Terry Alford, the defense lawyer refused to speak to the media.
Federal Bureau is conducting a parallel preliminary inquiry to this homicide case for determining whether any federal laws have been violated in this case or not.
Donfried said Hicks had shot Barakat multiple times and then entered the apartment only to shoot the screaming women in their heads. Prosecutor said he then pumped another slug into Barakat before leaving.
Hicks had been unemployed and had been taking community college classes to become a paralegal and had posted online as being an atheist and a staunch advocate of the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
He has been described as being an angry man with frequent arguments over loud music or parking with a gun holstered at his hip, as his neighbors said.
His posts on social media had also been on firearms, along with a photos being posted of a .38 caliber revolver. He had a state permit of carrying concealed weapon legally.
As of now, Hicks is being held at a state prison in Raleigh while he awaits trial.
