Defense attorneys call co-defendant in NC murder trial 'desperate, impulsive' after drug overdose

The murder trial for a Warren County man accused of murdering an elderly woman in 2018 began on Tuesday. Lester Kearney, 36, has maintained his innocence in the murder trial of Nancy Alford. She was killed in a fire at her home after her husband was beaten and tied up.

Posted 6:40 p.m. Mar 22, 2022 — Updated 1:43 p.m. Mar 23, 2022

Cullen Browder

, WRAL anchor/reporter

LITTLETON, N.C. — The murder trial began Tuesday for a Warren County man accused of murdering an woman during a home invasion in 2018.

Lester Kearney, 36, has maintained his innocence in the murder trial of Nancy Alford. She was killed in a fire at her home after her husband was beaten and tied up.

Her husband, who survived the attack, testified in court on Tuesday. John Alford previously identified Kearney as the knife-wielding man who broke into his home. However, Kearney's attorneys claim Alford only identified him after seeing Kearney's mugshot online.

"Mr. Alford was shown a single photograph of a man that he had already been told was arrested for his wife's murder," said defense attorney Robert Singagliese.

Alford testified in court toward the end of the day and was not asked any questions about the murder. He is expected to continue his testimony on Wednesday.

There is no physical evidence tying Kearney to the crime. Prosecutors are relying on both Alford's testimony and testimony from Kevin Munn, who pleaded guilty a month after the crime to first-degree murder.

Munn agreed to testify against Kearney to avoid the death penalty and later tried to withdraw his plea, saying he was pressured into it. Prosecutors allege that Kearney threatened to kill Munn's family if he took the stand against him.

Two weeks ago, Munn was hospitalized after being found unconscious in his jail cell. Defense attorneys said that Munn is a drug addict suffering from an overdose and his condition has since improved.

"Kevin Munn is a desperate, impulsive, erratic man," Singagliese said.

It’s unclear if Munn will still take the stand and testify against Kearney.

During opening statements on Tuesday, the defense stressed that cell phone evidence indicates Kearney was 20 minutes away from the murder scene at his girlfriend's house. They also are pushing back against Alford's positive identification due to his age and the fact that he was on medications.

"His phone wasn't at either of these places because he wasn't at either of these places," Singagliese said.

If convicted, Kearney could be put to death by the state.

Family, advocates say authorities have treated Kearney unfairly due to his race

Kearney has spent four years in solitary confinement at Central Prison in Raleigh. Kearney's family held a news conference last month claiming that Kearney has been targeted by officials due to his race.

James Kearney, a former sheriff's sergeant and Lester Kearney's uncle, voiced his compassion for the victims but said Black men like Lester have struggled for years.

"I've been pulled over for no reason," he said. "North Carolina has to come out of their old ways ... [it's] very racist. I am sorry I have to say it like that, but that's how it is."

Attorney Dawn Blagrove, head of Emancipate NC, concluded the conference by asking for a fair trial.

"We want equity. We want fairness. We want objectivity," she said. "We do not want to rush to judgment for Lester and we do not do not in any way want to interject ourselves or our thoughts into the trial in a way that is unfair or that is biased. We simply want to be a voice for Lester who, right now, has become voiceless because of an unfair system."

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