SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 SANFORDHERALD.COM • $2 QUICK READ Grand jury indicts Amatucci BY SHAWN TAYLOR “The only thing is set for June 13. nah, was at work during the SHAWNSANFORDHERALD.COM remaining for us is the According to police, incident. SANFORD — A grand jury report from the medi- Amatucci called 911 on Willett suffered head trauma AA MEETING indicted the man accused of cal examiner and the March 24 to report that with internal bleeding, corneal The Central infl icting serious injuries to the cause of death and then Willett, for whom he and retina damage to the eye, Carolina Group 3-year-old son of his girlfriend we should be ready to was caring at the time, bruising of the abdomen and of Alcoholics last month on Monday. roll,” said Chris Autry was unresponsive. an accumulation of fl uid in the Anonymous will Michael Anthony Amatuc- with the Lee County Dis- Authorities arrived lungs and stomach areas, the Michael hold a community ci, 28, may also face a charge trict Attorney’s office. Amatucci on the scene and Wil- police report stated. He was meeting about AA of murder depending on the “It’s not wise to not have lett was immediately later airlifted to UNC Hospitals for anyone who results of the autopsy of Bray- a confirmed cause of death transported to Central Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he died lon Willett, who died four days before you charge someone Hospital’s emergency room, on March 28. wants to attend at after he was found unconscious with murder.” according to SPD Sgt. Vinnie 6 p.m. today at 319 in Amatucci’s care. Amatucci’s next court date Frazer. Willett’s mother, Han- SEE JURY/PAGE A14 Moore St., Sanford. NUMBER OF THE DAY Two 4 — The percentage of successful CEOs from the S&P 500 companies who are women. proms down, Nineteen percent of the membership of S&P corporate two to go boards are women. BY HAILEY HALL Of the 87 new CEOs HAILEYSANFORDHERALD.COM named to lead SANFORD — Lee County High the largest public School and Southern Lee High companies in the Schools’ proms went off without a U.S. and Canada hitch, and Grace Christian School during 2015, 86 and Lee Christian School are expect- were male. Shawn Taylor | The Sanford Herald ed to have a similar result: safe and Three-year-old Bryson Smith, left, and Ti any Starbird, 10, explore the inside of a N.C. Forest- fun evenings for all. ry Service helicopter at the Touch a Truck fundraiser on Saturday. The event raised funds for Both LCHS and SLHS carried out Communities in Schools of Lee County. initiatives to promote safety leading up to prom in the hopes students would make good choices on prom night. LCHS Principal Kenna Wilson CIS fundraiser puts said there were multiple promotions, made by both the school and stu- dents, to emphasize the importance of driving safely. GO SANFORD kids behind the wheel “The school resource officer The latest BY SHAWN TAYLOR while a family explored the port. All proceeds went to worked with the highway patrol to SHAWNSANFORDHERALD.COM revisions to inside of a propane trans- the nonprofit to help fund arrange for a crash car [to come Sanford’s go-to SANFORD — When a port truck at the Touch a after school tutoring pro- to LCHS] that was displayed in the mobile app, Go child climbed aboard a fi re Truck fundraiser for Com- grams, food for children on campus plaza during lunches for the Sanford, are now truck, propane truck, ambu- munities in Schools of Lee weekends and other proj- two weeks prior to the prom,” she lance or patrol car on Satur- County. The horn of the ects by CIS, according to said. “Daily announcements were live. Sponsored day, almost unavoidably the truck blared behind him. executive director Heather made about using caution when driv- by The Herald sound of a horn blasted over “Defi nitely the horn. They’ll McKenzie. ing [and] some students completed and its partners, the crowd of families. fi nd it. Just give them a cou- “[These events] are individual projects to get the word Central Carolina So frequent were the ple of minutes, they’ll find incredibly important out about being safe on prom night. Hospital and the horns, sirens and cheers it.” because about 90 percent These projects included posters and Sanford Area from kids that one could CIS charged a $5 entry of our funding comes from announcements.” Growth Alliance, Go barely hear Robert Har- fee for each person (chil- fundraisers because we SLHS Principal Chris Dossen- Sanford is the rst grove, branch manager of dren 2 and under were free) don’t get any city or county bach added how his school also had local smartphone Blossman propane services to tour the planes, trucks, money. So it’s up to all of a crash car visit junior and senior application of its in Sanford, when he spoke. machinery equipment and us to keep our doors open,” students. kind for the Lee “[The kids] enjoy the emergency vehicles at the McKenzie said. “A few weeks before prom, all of air ride seat and the horn, event, held from 10 a.m.-2 our juniors and seniors took part in County market. of course,” Hargrove said p.m. at the Raleigh Exec Jet- SEE CIS/PAGE A14 the VIP (Very Important Person) Search for “Go program where they were able see Sanford” in your and hear the impact that poor deci- favorite app store sions can have on their future, their and put it to use. family and their friends,” he said. “The program provided students Practice to keep appointments a er re with facts and safety tips to guide their decision making, in hopes of BY SHAWN TAYLOR While the fl ames were put be restored for a few more NAACP SHAWNSANFORDHERALD.COM eliminating any issues during this out quickly soon after start- days, he added. busy time of the year for juniors and SANFORD — The BANQUET ing around 4:30 p.m., he But the practice will not seniors. Our students were able to The Lee County Sanford Fire Depart- said firefighters continued close in the mean time. participate in a reenactment of a branch of the ment responded to a fire for several hours working According to Crystal tragic car accident which reinforced NAACP will hold its alarm at the medical offi ces to get smoke out of the Hickman, director of pub- the importance of safe driving and annual Mother of of Sandhills Family Prac- building. lic relations, marketing sound decisions.” the Year banquet at tice on Carthage Street Fri- “We had a hard time get- and volunteer services at Both principals said their proms 5 p.m. Saturday at day, and extinguished the ting the smoke out,” Bar- Central Carolina Hospital, — SLHS’s prom on April 9 and God’s Promise flames within 30 minutes, ber said. “The building which owns Sandhills Fami- LCHS’s the following Saturday — Church in Sanford. according to the fi re chief. was divided into individual ly Practice, all appointments were successful. Tickets are $25 each No injuries were report- rooms.” will be kept but relocated to “We had a wonderful prom night ed; the building was evacu- As a result, a portion of an affi liated offi ce. and sponsorships for our students,” Wilson said. “The ated before fi rst responders the building, on both the The offi ces of William E. are available. evening was problem-free, without reached the scene. first and second floor, suf- Hall at 1911 K.M. Wicker a single behavior issue or incident.” Contact Ervin Chief Wayne Barber said fered smoke and water Drive and Mid Carolina “I think this message [of the Fox at (919) 478- the cause of the fire was damage, he said. Electric- Crossroads Surgical Clinic importance of safe driving and sound 1664 for more determined as a shortage ity was cut off from the information. in a bathroom exhaust fan. building and likely won’t SEE PRACTICE/PAGE A11 SEE PROMS/PAGE A11 To inform, challenge HAPPENING MONDAY TODAY OBITUARIES INDEX and celebrate The Sandhills Natural History High: 75 SANFORD: Verna Frances Branch Abby, Bridge, Horoscope .....A13 Society will meet at 7 p.m. at Stone, 70 Weymouth Woods Auditorium, Low: 53 LILLINGTON: Doris Black Woodley, Business ...................................A8 1024 Fort Bragg Road, South- 77; Glenn Messer, 75 Classifieds ........................... B8-9 ern Pines TOMORROW PAGE A6 Comics ................................Insert CALENDAR, PAGE A2 High: 83 Low: 60 Community calendar ..........A2 Graham ................................. A13 More Weather, Page A16 Opinion ................................A4-5 STAY INFORMED sanfordherald.com facebook.com/SanfordHerald @sanfordherald Scoreboard ............................. B4 A14 / Sunday, April 24, 2016 Search continues for suspect in Ohio shootings Death row BY KANTELE FRANKO gunshots to the head at four Hannah Gilley; and 19-year-old from where some of the vic- inmates THE ASSOCIATED PRESS properties in rural southern Hanna Rhoden. tims were found, described PIKETON, Ohio — An out- Ohio. It appeared some of the the family as close-knit and of-breath caller who found two Authorities continued the family members were killed as hardworking. He said they dying of of the eight slain members of scramble to determine who they slept, including a mother were previously part of his an Ohio family told a 911 dis- targeted that clan and why. in bed with her 4-day-old baby congregation, though not natural patcher in a quavering voice Investigators said they inter- nearby, authorities said. The recently. that “there’s blood all over the viewed more than 30 people in newborn and two other small “We’re just doing every- house.” hopes of fi nding leads in the children were not hurt.