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8:42 p.m. • 2-10-12

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Posted: July 17, 2008

Suspect in insurance examiner's slaying won't face death penalty

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Sallie Rohrbach

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Sallie Rohrbach

Charlotte, N.C. — Mecklenburg County prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against a man charged in the May slaying of North Carolina Department of Insurance investigator Sallie Rohrbach.

Rohrbach, 44, of Angier, was reported missing May 16. Her body was found four days later in a private wooded area of Fort Mill, S.C.

Michael Howell, 40, the owner of Dilworth Insurance Agency in Charlotte is charged with first-degree murder.

According to search warrants, Rohrbach was in Charlotte reviewing the insurance company's financial records after GMAC Insurance pulled its operating agreement for failing to pay customer premiums.

Investigators have not said how Rorhbach died, but sources within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have told CBS affiliate WBTV that she died from blunt force trauma and that the slaying occurred inside Howell's office.

RELATED TOPICS: Mecklenburg County, Death Penalty

Copyright 2011 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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44 Comments


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Latest Comments
I also can't believe that Jakeim Wilson wasn't sentenced to death! God, I pray for that woman's family, and for her soul...
bluewind
July 18, 2008 8:44 p.m.
jurydoc, thank you for the explanation on 1st and 2nd degree murder. I do think it's horrible that if you commit murder, except for self-defense, of course, that there is any wiggle room.
bluewind
July 18, 2008 8:42 p.m.
Very sad for all involved.
Click to view my profile justjean
July 18, 2008 4:23 p.m.
"DA's do NOT take this decision lightly"

I am sure it was not taken lightly then there must have been mitigating reasons

I would think that if they could pin the death penalty on him they would have
Click to view my profile carolina2
July 18, 2008 4:00 p.m.
In NC, in order for a DA to consider the death penalty, not only do they have to have evidence that supports a first degree (premeditated, deliberate, with malice) murder (or felony murder), they also have to have evidence in support of at least one statutory aggravating circumstance. This is the MINIMUM requirement in order to seek the death penalty as a possible punishment. Announcing the death penalty is on the table results in many additional provisions for the defense. #1 being that he is then entitled to 2 defense attorneys. It is at this point the costs of the prosecution begin to jump considerably, thus, DA's do NOT take this decision lightly. If he doesn't think he has the EVIDENCE required to prove, not only first degree, but also the aggravating circumstance, it is his obligation to NOT put the death penalty on the table.
jurydoc
July 18, 2008 3:20 p.m.
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