On Monday, the murder trial of Eric Campbell begins its third week at a courtroom in Granville County, North Carolina.
This 23-year-old joined his father Edward Campbell on a multi-state crime spree from Texas to West Virginia, prosecutors said. It culminated on Dec. 31, 2014, when these two allegedly stabbed to death Granville locals Jerome Faulkner, 73, Dora Faulkner, 62, and the couple’s dogs; burned the house down; and brought the human victims’ bodies along in a stolen truck. The state wrapped up its case Wednesday.
The son faces these accusations alone—The elder Campbell killed himself in March, 2015, while locked up as a pre-trial inmate at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The defense began their case on Thursday. They are trying to argue that although Eric was present for the crime spree, their client wasn’t culpable: He thought the Faulkners were only going to get robbed, not murdered; and he was too afraid to stop his father Edward, a long-time abuser.
Cross-examination of Eric Campbell continued Friday. He conceded that he served as lookout for his father when the Faulkners were robbed. The prosecution tried to press him on how involved he was in their deaths. For example, did he know that his father sprayed lye into a water bottle to apply to the victim’s eyes?
“I never saw him put lye in it,” the defendant said.
Psyhologist Dr. Leigh Hagan took the stand afterward for the defense. According to records, Eric Campbell suffered abuse from his father dating back years, the doctor said. This contributed to his behavior during the crime spree, Hagan argued.
The defendant, who faces two counts first-degree murder, could get the death penalty if convicted. He has also been charged with first-degree burglary, robbery with a dangerous weapon, second-degree arson, and two counts of cruelty to animals.
[Screengrab via LawNewz Network]
