Teen homicide suspect apprehended near Wake County high school
Syncere Pigford is one of three individuals charged in connection with the murder of a Wendell woman in June.
Like the rest of families in the Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS), we received an alert early on the morning of Sept. 6 that additional security was being added to Raleigh area high schools.
The reason behind the enhanced security was that a teen homicide suspect had been seen on at least three high school campuses.
The alert said the suspect, Syncere Pigford, was seen on the Broughton, Enloe, and Athens Drive High School campuses on Wednesday and Thursday of this past week. He did not attend those schools and the reason why he went there is not known. Pigford apparently attended Southeast Raleigh High School.
“At each school, administrators promptly identified Pigford as a trespasser and removed him from campus. At that time, they were not aware that he was a suspect in a homicide investigation,” the alert message stated in part. “The Raleigh Police Department and Wake County Sheriff’s Office are actively searching for Pigford. In response, we have increased security measures at all Raleigh high schools to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”
I inquired with WCPSS if Pigford gained access to high school buildings. The district has a visitor sign in system called Verkada and I asked whether he was identified that way, by a staffer in-person, or via any cameras on those campuses.
WCPSS Communications Director Lisa Luten responded that staff identified him “By sight,” and wrote, “School staff know when there’s someone on campus who isn’t supposed to be there, so when they spotted him, they removed him from campus and alerted authorities.”
I followed up to see if that “by sight” interaction was inside or outside the building but have not received a response to that question yet.
Later on Sept. 6, a second message from WCPSS went out that said Pigford was “taken into custody at about 11:30 a.m. in Raleigh.”
The second WCPSS alert didn’t give a location of Pigford’s apprehension, but it was just blocks away from Enloe Magnet High School, near the intersection of Tudor Place and North King Charles Road.
Pigford is being charged along with two others for the June 30 murder of 24-year-old Serenity Spencer. The killing took place in Wendell and the family has reportedly said Spencer did not know the suspects. Police said she was fatally shot at a home on Hodge Road.
Police have not released Pigford’s age and have only referred to him as a “juvenile.”
More To The Story
Prior to Pigford being caught, Kahlil Hahson Atkinson, age 18, of Raleigh and Xavier Don Ameche Atkinson, age 19, of Knightdale were arrested and charged with murder in connection with Spencer’s shooting.
The two Atkinson teens are brothers and have prior criminal records.
19-year-old Xavier Atkinson went from resisting a public officer and breaking and entering to murder in the span of a month.
His 18-year-old brother Khalil has a more extensive record that include credit card fraud, identity theft, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, drug charges, and more.
A court records search for Pigford in eCourts returned one result: a name change request which was denied. The other party in the name change record was Fanchon Marie Harvey. It is unclear if Harvey is a family member, legal guardian or parent to Pigford.
Harvey has numerous court records found in eCourts; all of which are disposed. One record is for forfeiture of a $500 bond in 2012. Also in 2012, records show cases for speeding, failure to reduce speed, driving with a revoked license, operating a vehicle with license. Another case was for operating a vehicle with no insurance in 2011.
The address for Harvey found in property and voter records is for a home in southeast Raleigh of S. New Hope Road.
Even More To The Story
Based on news reports, there have been 31 juveniles charged with murder, and 2 with attempted murder between Jan. 1 and Sept. 8 of this year.
Most of those charged were either 16 or 17 years old but included several 15-year-olds and one 14-year-old. The Pigford case involves a 19-year-old.
The majority of the murder charges involved the death of another teen, but several are for the murder of an adult.
This count may not be comprehensive. If readers have an addition to this list, please reach out to me at apdillon@protonmail.com.
Broken down by month:
January 2024
16-year-old charged with murder of an adult in Mecklenburg County
17-year-old charged with murder of an adult in Duplin County
February 2024
14-year-old charged with murder of a 21-year-old following a shooting in Wake County
16-year-old and 17-year-old charged with murder of a 17-year-old in Mecklenburg County
March 2024
17-year-old was charged with the murder of another 17-year-old in Robeson County
16-year-old was charged with the murder of a 17-year-old in Mecklenburg County
17-year-old was charged with murder in the death of a mother of three in Wake County
17-year-old was charged with the murder of another 17-year-old in Mecklenburg County
April 2024
17-year-old was charged with the murder of a 21-year-old male in Mecklenburg County
16-year-old was charged with the murder of a 13-year-old in Wake County
May 2024
Two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old charged with murder during a home invasion in Iredell County
16-year-old charged with attempted murder of a 13-year-old in Iredell County
18-year-old sought for the April murder of a 17-year-old in Mecklenburg County
16-year-old charged with murder of a 14-year-old in Mecklenburg County
June 2024
Three 17-year-olds charged with murder of another 17-year-old in New Hanover County
17-year-old charged with murder of a 35-year-old man at a Charlotte motel in Mecklenburg County
15-year-old charged with murder of 14-year-old in Mecklenburg County (related to May arrest of 16-year-old)
17-year-old was shot and killed in Monroe. An 18-year-old was also wounded. No shooter identified or charged yet, but police say multiple shooters were involved.
17-year-old was charged with the murder of an 18-year-old in Goldsboro at a Food Lion.
July 2024
16-year-old and 18-year old were charged with murder following a series of 5 shootings in Charlotte. The 18-year-old is a Honduran national in the country illegally.
18-year-old was charged with attempted murder in Lenoir County.
August 2024
Two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old arrested and charged with a murder in Raleigh.
18-year-old arrested in NY state for the murder, and assault w/ deadly weapon intent to kill of 29-year-old Wake Forest man.
Sept. 2024
16-year-old will be tried as an adult for first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon for the death of the Tobacco House Store owner in Rowan County.
17-year-old Lumberton is wanted for murder in connection with the body of an 18-year-old found roadside.
18-year-old and 19-year-old (brothers), and a teen police would only call a “juvenile” were arrested for the June murder of a 24-year-old Wendell woman. The juvenile suspect was arrested after being seen at 3 Wake County high schools and was captured near Enloe High.
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