Man Charged in Shooting Death of Good Samaritan Appears in Court
— -- A man accused of shooting a Good Samaritan who stopped to help when the suspect's car slid off an icy North Carolina road appeared in court today.
Marvin Lee was arrested Friday after allegedly killing Jefferson Heavner, 26, outside of Charlotte, police said.
The local sheriff said that Lee's car slid off a road and some people, including Heavner, stopped to help. Catawba County Sheriff Coy Reid said this weekend that the group believed that there was something wrong with the man, so they said they were going to call the police. The 27-year-old suspect then jumped out of the car with a pistol and allegedly opened fire, Reid said.
"He shoots and hits one of them," Reid said, adding that the victim fell to the ground.
After that "he walks over and fires multiple shots into him," Reid added.
In a Newton, North Carolina court today, Heavner's sister said that her brother regularly drove around during snow storms in an effort to help others who were stuck, The Associated Press reported.
Jessica Heavner said that the tradition of helping during storms started after their father died in a car crash 13 years ago, the AP reported.
"It hurts, deep down inside it hurts. He should have never took the life of someone that was trying to help him," Heavner's friend Rachel Goble told ABC affiliate WSOC.
Lee has been charged with murder and WSOC reports that they spoke to Lee's attorney who said that her client is depressed and sad about what happened.
