BY MIKE FUHRMAN
A suspect in the fatal shooting of a Statesville man surrendered to police on Friday evening and “looks forward to having his day in court,” according to his attorney.
Carl Anthony Cathey, 37, was charged with first-degree murder about 7 p.m. Friday in connection with the early morning shooting of Shawn Darnell Whren Jr. following an investigation by the Statesville Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
Whren, 31, died at Iredell Memorial Hospital on Friday after being critically wounded in a home in the 1000 block of Fifth Street about 4:12 a.m., according to the SPD.
Police have not released details about the shooting and did not disclose a possible motive. Investigators asked that anyone with information on this shooting to contact the SPD at 704-878-3406.
Statesville attorney Ken Darty said Friday evening that his client turned himself in after learning there was a warrant for his arrest. Cathey was held in the Iredell County Detention Center overnight.
In a statement to Iredell Free News, Darty said his client “looks forward to having his day in court.”
“The Statesville Police Department, as usual, has arrested a man with absolutely no credible evidence to support such an arrest,” Darty said. “Their usual knee-jerk reactions to satisfy the public is what has occurred here. I am certain that they did not consult with the District Attorney’s Office prior to seeking warrants.
“Carl is a nonviolent family man with a steady job,” Darty added. “The deceased, on the other hand has a violent past and was just released from prison. While this does not mean that he deserved to die, his prior criminal conduct indicates that this tragic ending was foreseeable.”
According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Whren was on probation after being released from state prison on June 5 after serving less than three years of a five- to seven-year prison sentence for an armed robbery conviction in Alexander County.
Darty asked the public to “reserve judgment until all the facts have been disclosed and not assume that Carl is guilty simply because Iredell Firewire and their followers assume he is guilty until he proves his innocence.”
Related
♦ JULY 1: Statesville Police investigating fatal shooting on Fifth Street
♦ JULY 1: Statesville police searching for suspect in early morning shooting on Fifth Street
I’ve got my opinion related to this murder charge, however unrelated to this particular charge lies the problem.
What is Whren doing out in less than three years on a 5 to 7 year sentence?
That is the problem. Look at all these crimes being committed in our town. I would be interested to know of these crimes, shootings, etc., how many repeat offenders and felons are involved. If these people were taken out of the equation, I bet it would be a 75% reduction in the crimes immediately.
Yep
Our legal system has no backbone letting offenders like this off with a slap on the wrist. That’s the problem as you stated but differently. If they did, our crime rate wouldn’t be on the rise. It was high enough already.
I’m sure SPD didn’t draw names out of a hat to charge someone for this crime. For Mr. Darty to suggest that his client didn’t do this because he has a job and is a nonviolent family man is absurd.
JJ: Until you no my brother Carl Cathey and our family personally, how bout keeping what you think you know but obviously don’t to yourself? Your thoughts and opinions aren’t needed unless you can speak facts which you can’t. This family isn’t my blood family, but many years ago they took me in like I was one of their own. I call his parents my mom and pops; his brothers and sisters are mine as well, and Carl Cathey is my brother. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for the ones that he loved. He was a great father to his son, and he most certainly was not anything like the picture you’re trying to paint. You people don’t think about both families involved. You only think of one and maybe you should be a little more considerate of my family. Whatever happened that night is tragic and my prayers go out to all involved. To my brother, I’ll stand behind you no matter what.
Ken Darty is a great attorney! In this country – one is supposed to be Innocent until proven guilty…. w/ today’s media it can sure come off like the opposite…….arrests make a great headline. I’d like to see media outlets come back after defendants are NOT convicted and attempt to make up for a smear against their name.