On Apr. 2, members of Wayne County EMS, Duplin County EMS, the Mount Olive Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mount Olive Fire Department responded to an unresponsive four-month-old infant at the Medic 9 Station in Mount Olive.

Life-saving efforts were performed on the scene and while en route to UNC Health Wayne.

The four-month-old patient was transferred to ECU Health Greenville where it passed away two days later.

Following an autopsy, detectives from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office interviewed subjects involved in the incident on Apr.2 and an earlier medical call involving the child on Mar. 21.

Based on the information that detectives learned from the medical examiner’s office and their investigation, Demarjai Za’Quan Stukes, 21, Mount Olive was charged with an open count of murder and placed under no bond in the Wayne County Detention Center.

Sheriff Pierce would like to thank the Mount Olive Police Department and Department of Adult Corrections Probation & Parole for their assistance during the investigation.

If anyone has information about this case they are encouraged to report it to Crime Stoppers. Callers can
call or text Crime Stoppers at (919) 735-2255 or they can submit a tip using the Wayne County Sheriff’s
Office app located on the Google and Apple Play stores.