Three accused killers of a toddler and a woman in Shelby last week got to face the Cleveland County judge for the first time, on Oct. 31., while
victims' funeral will be on Tuesday.
The victims, 22-year-old Miranda Woods and 3-year-old Liam Murray, were allegedly killed by Mario Wilson, Morris Abraham and Aubre Sucato who broke into the home last Thursday on Whisnant Street. The three accused reportedly tried to rob a third person who had marijuana.
A friend of Wilson, Chris Spikes, said in an interview with WSOCTV that his friend is not cold-hearted as depicted by the news. Spikes added that he served time with Wilson years ago after Wilson went to prison for fraud. The accusation shocked him and he felt sorry for the family of the victims but shooting a three-year-old is just something unbelievable for the accused friend.
The judge asked the three accused killers if they understood that the charges of first-degree murder could possibly bring them to a death penalty. Sucato said she did understand the charges but did not plead guilty to the crime.
Family members testified that Sucato knew the toddler and was actually best friends with the boy's mother. Investigators discovered that Sucato was dating one of the other accused killers.
Liam's grandmother told WSOCTV that Sucato lived with the boy's mother sometime in the past, particularly when the little boy was born. Woods, on the other hand, had a 3-year-old of her own.
An emotional vigil and a moving balloon were released over the weekend for both victims, as reported by Shelby Star. The grandmother said that Liam was "the light of everything." It was so much to bear for them.
Funeral services for Woods and Murray are set for Tuesday. Liam's will be from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Carpenter-Porter Funeral Home in Cherryville, and this will be followed by a private burial. A superhero theme will be carried through the funeral to reflect the toddler's life favorites.