Court records released to the press last week shed new light on the shooting death of the popular student body president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Rather than a victim of a random carjacking, Eve Carson was kidnapped from her home, taken in her own vehicle to an ATM machine where she was robbed, shot by both assailants and left in the street.

The search warrants in the case were unsealed last week over the strong objections of the defense attorneys for Laurence Lovette, 17, and Demario Atwater, 22, who have been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Carson's body was found March 5 near an intersection in Chapel Hill about one mile from campus. Initial reports said she was carjacked while on the way to her office around 5 a.m.

Affidavits attached to the search warrants in the case, paint a terrifying final hours of Eva Carson's life.

Carson Kidnapped, Robbed, Killed

The papers indicate that Carson stayed at home to study rather than go out with roommates around 1:30 a.m. The defendants entered the home through an open door, kidnapped the 22-year-old Carson, forcing her to go to an ATM machine in her Toyota Highlander SUV to withdraw money from her bank account.

A confidential informant told police that Atwater described the kidnapping, robbery and shooting of Carson. He said Carson was shot multiple times by Lovette then later shot by Atwater. They withdrew $1,400 from Carson's account over the next two days.

State Bureau of Investigation special agent Brian Fleming said in the court papers that Atwater told police that he was pictured in a surveillance photo taken at a convenience store where Carson's ATM card was used. He also identified Lovette in a different photo at another ATM.

Lovette's attorney, Karen Bethea-Shields, said the warrants rely on hearsay from a confidential informant that could taint the potential jury pool in the high-profile case.

See Also:
Warrants: NC Student Was Kidnapped, Robbed, Shot

Background:
The Murder of Eve Carson

Forum:
Discuss The Eve Carson Case

^{Photo: University of North Carolina}