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Charges dropped against Wilson man in Christmas Eve 2016 quadruple murder

Prosecutors on Monday dismissed charges against a Wilson man accused of gunning four people down in their home three years ago.

Posted Updated

By
Amanda Lamb
, WRAL reporter
WILSON, N.C. — Prosecutors on Monday dismissed charges against a Wilson man accused of gunning four people down in their home three years ago.

Dereck Eugene Harris, 31, was set to go on trial for the Christmas Eve 2016 murders of Tammy Lynette Pearce, 54; her fiancé, Selby Gene Outland, 47; her son, Paul Shane Pearce, 28; and his girlfriend, Dominique Nicole "Nikki" Privette, 23, when the charges were dismissed.

According to court records, prosecutors cited witnesses changing their statements, avoiding subpoenas and not showing up for court as the reason they couldn't move forward with the case. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could reinstate them and take Harris to trial if they can secure enough evidence against him.

Dereck Harris

"I was surprised. I was not expecting this. We were prepared to go forward," defense attorney Philip Lane said Tuesday. "He is relieved. He is home with his family. He has maintained his innocence from the beginning."

A family member found the the four bodies at their home in the 2200 block of Banks Lane on Dec. 24, 2016, but Wilson County Sheriff's Office investigators said they could have been killed the previous night.

Investigators said they believe the slayings were tied to money owed in a drug deal and that Harris knew at least one of the victims.

Paul Shane Pearce and his girlfriend, Dominique Nicole Privette, left, and his mother, Tammy Lynette Pearce and her boyfriend, Selby Gene Outland, were found dead in a Wilson home on Dec. 24, 2016.

Privette's father, Kenneth Privette, said the families of all of the victims have been waiting for justice for a long time and are resigned that their wait must continue.

"We’ve got to be patient and wait a little longer," he said.

"When they came in and gave us the option of letting him walk without doing trial and letting him walk with a trial and getting a not guilty verdict, we had no choice," said Jennifer Privette, Nikki Privette's sister. "It's just a waiting game. There’s nothing we can do but go along with the detectives and wait for evidence to show up."

Kenneth Privette said the waiting provides no closure for the families, but he wants to make sure the right person is convicted of the crime.

"I hope they’ve got the right guy, but then again, I don't want someone innocent to go to jail for what happened," he said. "So, if they don’t have the right guy, I want them to get the right guy.

"The only thing that we know," he added, "is that three families lost members, and we just want justice for all our families."

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