An Augusta man accused of taking part in the slaying of two men at a Harrisburg barbershop just before Thanksgiving 2020 will remain in jail without bond.
Kazarie Middleton, 19, has pleaded not guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to charges of murder, theft and weapon offenses in the Nov. 23, 2020, double homicide at the Johnson’s Beauty and Barber Shop on Eve Street.
Tuesday, Jan. 25, after hearing from both sides on the issue of bond, Richmond County Judge Amanda Heath denied bond, but told the prosecutor she was concerned about the delay in getting ballistics examinations completed.
Middleton and two other men were indicted in the slayings of 48-year-old Meguel Freeman and 34-year-old Wyman K. Scott.
From witness reports, investigators believe that both men were shot more than once after gunmen walked through the shop’s door in the early afternoon, said Assistant District Attorney Timothy O’Brien. Two weapons were used, a 9 mm and a .380-caliber firearm.
[adrotate banner=”25″]
A witness in the neighborhood heard gunshot that day and saw young men get into a vehicle that fled from the area, O’Brien said. Investigators located security video that captured the license tag on a vehicle that fit a witness’s description of the car, O’Brien said. That led investigators to the vehicle’s owner and the suspects, Middletown, Marquise Harris and Cortez Berry.
Harris talked to the investigators, telling them it was a robbery intended to get tens of thousands of dollars, O’Brien said. It is unknown if the assailants got any cash, he said. Middleton was arrested during a traffic stop of the vehicle believed to have been used in the crime. A .380-caliber handgun was under the driver’s seat, O’Brien said.
Defense attorney Greg Leopard told the judge that although the handgun was the same caliber as one used in the murders, he believes the ballistic evidence will show it wasn’t used in the slayings. An incriminating statement that Middleton allegedly made to a witness was actually information he learned of the crime from others, Leopard said.
Middleton has no criminal history. He was steadily working at a job with good pay and benefits before his arrest, Leopard said. Middleton is a native of the area with extensive support in the community, he said.
Harris, 19, and Berry, 24, have also pleaded not guilty in the case. They are also in custody awaiting trial.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
