Raleigh, NC – Robert Lee Strother, a 34-year-old Kinston man, has been sentenced to 720 months (60 years) in federal prison for shooting a Lenoir County deputy, carjacking a victim, and leading law enforcement on a multi-day manhunt.
Strother pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carjacking, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to court documents.
On October 16, 2023, Strother shot a Lenoir County Sheriff’s Deputy in the neck with an assault rifle during a call at a residence in La Grange. The bullet then traveled through the deputy and into a residence where a child was sleeping. Strother then fled on foot, sparking a multi-day, multi-agency manhunt.
The next morning, deputies searching for Strother heard multiple gunshots fired in the same residential area. A victim would later describe to investigators that Strother rushed out of the woods with a high-powered rifle, demanded his truck, and shot him multiple times in the abdomen and hand as he was surrendering control of the vehicle.
Following the shooting, deputies found a tactical vest similar to what Strother had been seen wearing when he shot Deputy Key. The vest contained Strother’s identification card from the Case Turkey Plant and three AR-style thirty round magazines loaded with ammunition.
Law enforcement responded to a 911 call reporting that Strother had been seen with a firearm in the yard of a Kinston residence. Strother turned and raised the rifle towards law enforcement vehicles and personnel. Officers fired multiple rounds, striking Strother, and causing him to drop the rifle. Strother was taken into custody and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
“Robert Strother was a one-man crime spree – shooting a Lenoir County deputy in the neck, leading law enforcement on a multi-day manhunt, and carjacking a neighbor at gunpoint before shooting him,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “I personally met with the victims in this case and know the toll it has taken on them and their families. They are remarkable people who are lucky to be alive.”
At the time of these shootings, Strother was on post-release supervision in the state of North Carolina for a 2014 conviction for felony assault on a law enforcement officer.
Related Federal Cases
- Demery McLymore Gets 31 Years for Carjacking Spree · North Carolina
- Reidsville Man Gets 10 Years for Apartment Shooting Threat · North Carolina
- Reidsville Gunman Gets Decade For Apartment Shooting · North Carolina
- Reidsville Gunman Gets Decade for Reckless Shooting · North Carolina
- Charlotte Gunman Gets 14 Years for Robbery Spree · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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