5 chilling details about Stephanie Powell-Anderson's murder
In 2008, a 39-year-old mother-of-three, Stephanie Powell-Anderson, was found fatally shot at the Trade Wilco convenience store on Trawick Road, Raleigh, where she worked an early morning shift. Surveillance video showed a masked man shooting her in the chest during a botched robbery.
ID's See No Evil chronicles Stephanie Powell-Anderson's shooting death in an all-new episode, titled Comply or Die, which airs on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. The synopsis states:
"In North Carolina, Stephanie Powell-Anderson's convenience store shift ends in bloodshed, as part of a larger pattern of violence plaguing the area; with the assailant growing bolder by the day, the heat is on to make an arrest before he kills again."
The investigation that followed linked the shooting incident to multiple other similar cases, leading to the revelation of a serial robber who was only identified after detectives received a crucial tip. He was then tried in a court of law and found guilty.
Found slumped behind the counter by her fiance, and 4 other facts about Stephanie Powell-Anderson's murder
1) Stephanie was found at the crime scene by her fiance early in the morning
Stephanie Powell-Anderson used to open the Trade Wilco convenience store on Trawick Road every day at 4.30 am, after which her fiance Fred Hewitt used to visit her with the excuse of purchasing a paper. He would then spend time with her before leaving for work.
April 10, 2008, seemed no different until Fred found Stephanie unconscious and slumped behind the counter.
2) She died at the hospital of a severe gunshot wound to the chest
First responders found Stephanie unconscious at the crime scene. Fred, who was sitting next to her in a hysterical condition, had assumed that she was probably having a heart attack given the scant amount of blood present.
After being transported to a nearby hospital, Stephanie succumbed to her injuries. The medical examiner reported that she had died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
3) Surveillance footage showed an African-American man forcing Stephanie Powell-Anderson to open the safe
Detectives from the Raleigh Police Department originally interrogated Fred as he was the first to arrive at the scene. However, they later discovered surveillance footage from the store which showed the front door, the front area of the store, and the area behind the counter.
Surveillance video captured a tall African-American male approaching Stephanie Powell-Anderson while she was opening the store. He was wearing a camouflage hoodie along with a bandana over their face.
The man then took out a gun and threatened her to open the shop. He then coerced Stephanie into opening the safe. She was heard screaming and was only shot when she failed to open the safe.
The suspect was then seen fleeing the crime scene minutes before Stephanie's fiance arrived.
4) A man named Armond Devega was arrested in connection with Stephanie's shooting incident
Detectives located the man, Armond Degeva, with a long history of armed robberies after receiving critical information from a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend. They were also able to connect him with multiple other identical incidents that occurred in and around Raleigh from January until his arrest.
On October 24, 2008, Armond was taken into custody from his parents' house when investigators discovered shoes with footprints that matched those from the crime scene.
5) Armond Degeva was convicted on multiple charges, receiving a lengthy sentence
According to reports, Armond was convicted of six out of eight charges of robbery with a firearm along with first-degree murder in Stephanie Powell-Anderson's case and a charge of attempted first-degree murder.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder charge, and was given an additional 57 to 72 years for the other charges in connection to the other cases.
He is currently serving his sentence at the Richmond Correctional Institution in Hoffman, North Carolina.
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Prem Deshpande