FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — A woman was found guilty of the murder of her boyfriend in Dec. 2018, according to the Forsyth County District Attorney, James O'Neill.
On Dec. 30, 2018, the Winston-Salem Police Department checked on James McCormick. No one had heard from him since December 21, 2018.
They found McCormick dead in his bedroom.
On Dec. 31, 2018, police charged Lessie Denise Graves with first-degree kidnapping and common law Robbery.
Graves and McCormick used to date, according to O'Neil.
After they broke up in October 2018, McCormick changed his phone number, debit card pin, and apartment locks. Investigators later found McCormick’s keys at Graves’ home. They also found a recording of Graves asking McCormick's bank for a new debit card.
Graves turned down a plea deal for second-degree murder. She wanted a trial instead, according to the DA.
Graves was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and robbery with a dangerous weapon on April 23, 2024. She was sentenced to life without parole after a jury deliberated for just two hours.
McCormick's family and friends waited over five years for justice. District Attorney Jim O’Neill said he hoped the conviction brought them closure.
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