A decades-old issue that has long plagued Goldsboro and Wayne County has come back to the forefront after four dead bodies were found in four days between last Friday and Monday.
Richard Scott Lane, 40, Billy Wayne Saunders, 40, Shawnell Kirsten Alves, 34 and Eboni Marie Jackson 47, were each found deceased in Goldsboro over the course of four days.
In a conversation on Tuesday with Goldsborodailynews.com concerning the four recent deaths, Goldsboro Mayor Charles Gaylor stressed the importance of remembering the four individuals who lost their lives were real people, while also pointing out that investigations have ruled out foul play.
“First and foremost these are real people with real lives,” Mayor Gaylor said. “Yes, things in their personal lives took a turn and put them in the situation where they had made choices. It’s still the loss of human life. This is still not the outcome that anyone wants for their child and not the outcome any mayor wants for their citizens or their police. I don’t want my police having to go into a situation where they find a body that’s been there for a couple of days, which is what’s happening in at least a couple of these situations. I do not want a parent or a sibling or a friend having to find out that their friend is gone. The question everyone needs to ask is, ‘What’s going on?’ Obviously, Chief (Michael) West and the professionals with the Goldsboro Police Department, they have a lot more investigations to do, but I’m quite grateful that they did at least permit me to say there’s absolutely no evidence of foul play. There’s no evidence of violence, there’s no evidence of this being a hit streak or something like that.”
Mayor Gaylor also indicated that drugs are believed to have played a role in all four deaths.
“What there is evidence of is that the common denominator is drug use,” Mayor Gaylor said. “Our community has struggled for decades with drug addiction. It is deep within our fiber as a city and as a community. Something we’ve tried to draw attention to over the last few months is different treatment centers. You’ve seen it at (City) Council meetings. No amount of treatment centers is going to help anything if someone is not ready for that option. If we see that there is a common denominator that is drug use, I am asking and trying to reinforce to families and friends, if you know folks who are habitual users, even if you categorize them as recreational, talk to people that you know and get them help.”
Lane’s body was discovered in a wooded area near the intersection of I-795 N and W. Ash Street on Apr. 12. Saunders was found deceased on Saturday in a room at the Irish Inn.
Alves, a mother who left behind six children, was discovered in a tent in a wooded area in the 2200 block of Royall Avenue on Sunday. Her family created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral expenses.
Jackson was discovered in a home in the 600 block of Isler Street on Monday.
The Goldsboro Police Department released a statement on Facebook on Monday which stated, “In recent days, our community has seen a rise in overdoses and deaths related to tainted drugs. Substances like heroin and methamphetamine are being laced with potent and dangerous additives, such as fentanyl, putting users at a higher risk of overdose and death. It’s crucial to be aware of these risks and take precautions. Please be mindful to never use alone, and carry naloxone (Narcan) if possible. Seek help from local resources or healthcare professionals for support with substance use. Your safety and well-being are paramount.”
Goldsboro Police Chief Michael West confirmed to Goldsborodailynews.com on Monday that the Goldsboro Police Department believed that two of the first three individuals found deceased had been residents of Tent City at some point.
Tent City was a homeless encampment in the wooded area between Target and the railroad tracks in the 2700 block of Royall Avenue.
Residents of Tent City were notified by the Goldsboro Police Department on Jan. 4 that police would soon begin enforcing trespass agreements and that occupants needed to be prepared to vacate the property. GPD began posting No Trespassing signs in February.
Tent City residents were given until Mar. 25 to vacate the property.
The United Way of Wayne County and Tommy’s Foundation have been assisting to help Tent City occupants get ID cards, find housing, and connect with family inside and outside the community.
The Salvation Army has also been working to open its shelter to those who need it.
Mayor Gaylor encourages Goldsboro residents to not draw conclusions between the evacuation of Tent City, and the recent string of deceased bodies discovered in the city.
“If you see something it’s easy to jump to a cause-and-effect relationship and I don’t know that’s fair to do,” Mayor Gaylor said. “Folks being told they can’t stay (in Tent City) doesn’t mean they can’t stay together or that they can’t lean on each other, or seek refuge in one of the shelters. You’ve gotta remember that the United Way, Tommy’s Foundation and the Salvation Army all stepped forward so that anyone that wanted a place to go had an option. I don’t know there’s a direct one-to-one causal effect but I do know that it does appear that at least a couple of folks (that were found dead) were residents (in Tent City) at some point.”
Wayne County has numerous non-profit organizations and ministries that aspire to serve the less fortunate as well as those who struggle with addiction. Mayor Gaylor believes the deeply rooted drug problem in Goldsboro won’t improve without a collective effort between the community and those non-profits and ministries.
“Well, this isn’t a problem that’s going to go away,” Mayor Gaylor said. “Just because at some point the news cycle will change doesn’t mean that the problem goes away. This has got to be a change in our lifestyles. We need our partners not just in a sprint, but we need our partners so that we can get structures in place to where it’s no longer a race, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a fixed lifestyle, it’s a system. Some of that has to come from federal and state, and other societal changes, but locally here, we have some amazing that do some amazing things every day. Our community soup kitchen does stuff every single day. House of Fordham does stuff every single day. Salvation Army does stuff every single day. Tommy’s Foundation does stuff every single day. 4 Day Movement does stuff every single day. What we’ve got to do is make sure our work is collaborative and that we’re not duplicating efforts, that we’re efficient and that we’re enabling them to do as much work as the possibly can.”
