GOLDSBORO, N.C. – The man accused of murdering a Wayne County Community College employee was quickly ushered out of court on Thursday after a expletive-laced response to the Wayne County judge when asked if he understood his charge and maximum punishment.
Kenneth Morgan Stancil III, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ronald Dwight Lane Jr., initially denied a court-appointed attorney saying he understood when he was arrested that he faced life in prison or the death penalty.
“I don’t need one,” Stancil told Judge Ronald O. Jones. “I knew I would get life anyway.”
Jones quickly stopped Stancil mid-sentence and reiterated the crime carries a maximum punishment of death, not life in prison.
“I knew that was going to end up be my result,” Stancil said. “I was going to spend the rest of my life in prison.”
When Jones again reiterated that the crime was punishable by up to death and not just life in prison, Stancil unleashed a tirade of expletives.
“Yes I know that,” Stancil said. “But when I knew what I had to do and I knew I got caught, I knew in my mind that I could get life or I could get the death penalty. I knew that”
He continued, “You defile my top eight, I will kill you. Know what I’m saying? If you’re a [expletive] child molester, a [expletive] rapist.”
Jones told Stancil he couldn’t use that sort of language in his courtroom, to which Stancil replied, “I don’t give a [expletive] what you want.” Jones then ordered him removed from the courtroom and a half dozen deputies ushered him out.
About 30 minutes later, deputies brought Stancil back into the courtroom where he had a very different demeanor.
When asked again if he wanted a court-appointed attorney, a much calmer Stancil told Jones that he does understand his charges and he would like an attorney.
Stancil was flown by the State Bureau of Investigation from Volusia County, Florida, to Goldsboro on Thursday after he denied a extradition hearing saying he wanted to go back to North Carolina to face an open count of murder in Lane’s death.
Police said Stancil fatally shot Lane on Monday at Wayne Community College. He then fled the campus on a motorcycle before breaking down along Interstate 95 near Lumberton.
Investigators said Stancil then abandoned his motorcycle and hitchhiked to Daytona Beach, where he was arrested for violating the city’s no sleeping on the beach ordinance.
Police said Stancil pulled a knife, but he dropped it when the officer drew his gun.
In court on Tuesday, Stancil expressed no remorse in admitting that he had killed Lane, who family members identified as a homosexual. Stancil told the judge he is “fine with jail” and that “doing time’s the easy [expletive] part.”
Police have not said what may have motivated Stancil to murder Lane, but Goldsboro police Sgt. Jeremy Sutton said officers are investigating the possibility of it being a hate crime. Sutton did not say, however, what hate crime was being investigated.
Wayne Community College officials said Stancil was a student at the school and worked in the print shop with Lane as part of a work-study program. A relative of Lane’s said that Lane fired Stancil for bringing drugs to the workplace.
School officials said Stancil was dismissed from the school’s work-study program for too many absences.