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Posted: January 17, 2008

Man Pleads Guilty in Drug Dealer's Death

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Curtis Brinson, charged in Rodney Austin's 1999 murder

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Curtis Brinson, charged in Rodney Austin's 1999 murder

Raleigh, N.C. — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to beating a drug dealer to death nine years ago and tying him to a tree with duct tape.

Curtis Brinson, 31, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 1999 slaying of Rodney Austin, whom authorities said was a local drug dealer. A kidnapping charge was dropped against him as part of a plea agreement.

Austin's skeletal remains were found Dec. 7, 1999, in some woods off Wilmington Road near Garner by a man walking his dog.  Authorities said Austin, who had been reported missing 10 months earlier, had been beaten and taped to a tree.

Brinson, who is serving a federal prison sentence on an unrelated weapons charge, has agreed to testify against others charged in the crime. His sentencing has been put on hold until after those cases are resolved.

Rodney Riggins was charged in Austin's slaying in February 2006, and Andre Walker was charged in December 2006.

RELATED TOPICS: Garner

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7 Comments


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Latest Comments
All drugs should be legal, with common sense laws like preotection for minors, prhibition against driving under the influence, and a good taxation system. I am an adult and can choose for myself what to do with my body, I do not want the government deciding for me. Maybe this will cut down on the black market criminal activity as well.
readme
January 21, 2008 9:46 a.m.
Drugs are not killing millions of people maybe hundreds or couple thousand but not millions. Drugs are bad Mmkay. But yup I dont like drugs or those that sell them.
Click to view my profile Cable
January 18, 2008 5:09 p.m.
Gnathostomata: I agree with you totally. A little prison time including the Federal charges will either make him learn something by his criminal activities and taking of another's life. I wish the courts would get the people that are bringing the drugs into certain places instead of going after the drug-pushers. If they do that then maybe we would not have a drug problem. Go after the "Big Dog". When one of his hitch-men get killed or go to prison, the "Big Dog" simply replaces him with someone else. Lets do not forget the women drug-pushers. Drugs are killing millions of people and they just cannot see light for the darkness. Its pitiful.
Dr. Dataclerk
January 18, 2008 2:13 p.m.
Concurrent sentence? What a waste of court time!!! Consecutive sentence would have been the proper sentence!! Although what he was accused of just means that we got two birds with one stone! Maybe four by the time it's over. Of course, they're likely to get credit for time served. Even if that time was for shoplifting or something! The truly deserving get off so lightly!!!
twc
January 18, 2008 2:10 p.m.
Don't be pattin Mr. Brinson on the back just yet. He is already in prison for some very serious crimes. Maybe the dealer he killed was moving in on his territory.
Sidekick
January 18, 2008 8:54 a.m.
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