DRUG BUST SNARED '97 MURDER SUSPECT

One of the men arrested on major drug charges in Columbus County last week
was free on bond at the time of the arrest, charged with a Wilmington
murder that sparked an anti-crime movement and public outcries for justice
for the victim in 1997.

Antwand Demond Brown, 29, was charged with murdering Ronald Martin, 19, who
was beaten to death with a baseball bat as he walked in the 600 block of
Nixon Street.

Police said at the time that Mr. Martin, a former basketball star at New
Hanover High School, was beaten to death by three men who mistook him for
someone else - someone the men had fought earlier in the day.

Police said he had nothing to do with that fight and didn't even know the
men who beat him. He died three days later on Jan. 6, 1997, New Hanover
County's first murder victim that year.

Mr. Martin's murder became a rallying point to clean up crime in the North
Fifth Avenue neighborhood where the Martin family lived, with residents
wearing buttons and slapping bumper stick|ers on their cars demanding
"Justice for Ron Martin."

Within weeks, three men were arrested in connection with the murder: Mr.
Brown, Larry Butler and Anthony Ruffin, also known as Anthony Robbins.

Mr. Brown posted $400,000 bond immediately and was released before he spent
any time in jail.

In 1999, both Mr. Butler and Mr. Ruffin pleaded guilty to second-degree
murder. Had they gone to trial, Mr. Brown was expected to testify against
them as part of an arrangement with prosecutors. In exchange for his
testimony, Mr. Brown would have been allowed to plead guilty to being an
accessory after the fact.

But little movement has been made on Mr. Brown's case since then, and he
has lived as a free man since 1997.

"We're concentrating on trying the people that are actually in jail. Back
when he was charged in the crime, it was not alleged that he was an active
participant," District Attorney John Carriker said.

"One of the defendants gave notice of appeal, and the state was waiting
until after his appeal was final before we did anything with this case, and
that's the reason nothing was immediately done," Mr. Carriker added.

Thursday night, Mr. Brown and three other men were arrested on drug charges
following a traffic stop. Columbus County Sheriff's Sgt. Kevin Norris said
he stopped the men's van on N.C. 87 because it was driving too fast for the
rainy conditions. He said he saw a gun at Mr. Brown's feet and asked for
permission to search the van.

When the men denied permission, deputies got a search warrant and found
nearly 29 pounds of cocaine, $50,000 in cash and two additional handguns
hidden in a secret compartment in the van's roof.

The cocaine would have had a street value of up to $2 million.

Mr. Brown and Dion Saulter are being held in the Columbus County jail in
lieu of $5 million bond. James Robbins and William Bress are being held in
lieu of $1.5 million bond.

Even if the men could raise the money for bond, they would likely remain in
jail because federal agents have placed holds on them as well.