Suspect charged in shooting death

Published 9:34 am Friday, April 9, 2021

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From Pitt County Sheriff’s Department

A man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of an Aurora resident. 

At 1:02 p.m. on Thursday April 8, 2021, deputies from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of 2842 King Farm Rd to a reported vehicle crash with a person ejected. CPR was in progress by EMS.  

Deputies arrived on scene to find that the victim, Edmond Jay Moore Jr, 36, of Aurora, had been pronounced dead. Further investigation revealed that the victim had apparent gunshot wounds.  

Soon after their arrival on scene, deputies were dispatched to a neighborhood off King Farm Rd, regarding a suspicious male walking door to door asking for a ride to Greenville. Deputies located the subject on Palm Drive and identified him as Jimmie Earl Speight Jr, 27, of Farmville.  A handgun and drugs were found near the area where Speight was detained.  

Following the crime scene investigation and interviews, Speight was arrested and charged with first degree murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. 

Mr. Speight was also charged with first degree forceable rape and first degree kidnapping from a March 4, 2021 case being investigated by our Major Crimes Unit. 

Mr. Speight remains in the Pitt County Detention Center without bond on the murder charge. He has a $3,000,000 secured bond on the other charges.