Five men charged with murder are scheduled to appear during an administrative session of Beaufort County Superior Court this week, according to a court calendar.

Domonic Kidean Farrow, Arturo Lopez-Perez and Martel Deval Weston are charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of Bath resident Leonard Alfred Willson III on Oct. 7.

Willson, a paraplegic, had lived in Bath approximately 15 years. He could frequently be seen cycling in and around Bath on his recumbent handcycle.

Each defendant also is charged with first-degree burglary, felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and first-degree arson.

During an administrative session, the court may hear pending pretrial motions, set such motions for hearing on a date certain or defer ruling on motions until the trial of the case.

On Oct. 14, 2010, a search warrant was obtained and served at Lopez-Perez’s residence in Belhaven. At approximately 11 p.m., investigators learned that Lopez-Perez had been arrested by the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office for resist, delay, and obstructing a public officer. As a result of information collected during the investigation, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jamie Cahoon obtained a warrant charging Lopez-Perez with murder.

Investigators then obtained a search warrant for the home and vehicle of a second suspect. On Oct. 15, deputies and investigators with the sheriff’s office served the search warrant and arrested Weston, who also was charged with murder.

On Oct. 25, 2010, Farrow was arrested by Cahoon with assistance from Hyde County probation and parole officers. Farrow was charged with murder.

As of Monday, Lopez-Perez, Weston and Farrow were in the Beaufort County Detention Center, each under a $1 million secured bond for the murder charge.

On Dec. 13, 2010, Beaufort County grand jury indicted the three men for murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree arson, armed robbery and felony larceny, with all charges stemming from the death of Willson.

An examination of court files shows that an order granting Lopez-Perez’s defense team money to hire an investigator has been filed.

Gary Curtis Upton Jr. is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his father, Gary Curtis Upton Sr. on Oct. 18, 2010. Originally, the younger Upton was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. That charge was dropped when the elder Upton died Oct. 20, 2010, resulting in the murder charge.

Upton was transferred from the Beaufort County Detention Center to the N.C. Department of Correction “due to over population and mental health and security,” according to court records.

Attorney James K. Antinore of Greenville was appointed to represent Upton.

On Monday, District Attorney Seth Edwards said the cases involving Farrow, Lopez-Perez, Weston and Upton are on the calendar for “monitoring purposes” and that significant actions in those cases in unlikely.

Erick Smallwood, a Washington resident, faces a murder charge in the shooting death of 21-year-old Neal Whitney of Chocowinity. Whitney was fatally shot at Lil’ John’s Club on U.S. Highway 17 near Chocowinity in the early morning hours of Aug. 29, 2009.

Whitney died of a gunshot wound to his torso. He was a former standout for the Southside High School football team. During his senior year, he was named the 2006 WDN Defensive Player of the Year. He received the Southside Football Seahawk Award in 2006-07, which is given to the player “that exemplifies what a Seahawks player is, not necessarily the best player on the team or the best athlete, but a good player, with a strong work ethic; someone that is in the weight room all the time; a good student, well behaved, a hard worker, a hustler and just a good all-around person.”

Smallwood was arrested almost a month after the fatal shooting. Smallwood, who had a string of arrests before being arrested Wednesday, has served at least one prison term in the past.

Edwards said there could be a plea deal in the Smallwood case this week.