VERDICT IS IN: Jury finds Derek Ward guilty of raping, killing cousin in 2010

• Brittini’s father sent a statement to prosecutors, thanking them for their work
• Sentencing: Life without parole
• Derek Ward’s family was emotional as this was happening
• Juror could be seen crying

CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — It was a trial that was largely defined by some erratic and unusual moments and a backstory that is equal to that of any soap opera.

That trial came to an end Wednesday, with the jury deliberating several hours to determine if the man at the center of the case, Derek Ward, was guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree rape.

Ward was charged in the 2010 rape and fatal strangulation of his cousin, Brittini Ward.

Brittini Ward was described by family members as caring and loving, but with her own mental health issues, having been diagnosed as being paranoid schizophrenic as a teenager.

Brittini’s family said there was some initial contact with her father’s relatives on social media that led to a meeting with family members in Charlotte in 2010, with one of those relatives being Derek Ward.

Brittini’s family testified during the trial that, after that initial meeting, Derek Ward returned alone and quickly became a force within the newfound family, and reportedly convinced Brittini’s mother that her daughter may have been under some sort of “possession” by a “demon.”  Brittini’s family said Derek Ward had put his hands around her neck on a previous occasion.

The spiritual aspect of this was at the center of some of the proceedings. Brittini’s family, at that point, were practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses.

On May 5, 2010, authorities said Brittini Ward was found purple and cold to the touch, with noticeable bleeding coming from her private area.  Family testified that Derek Ward had told them that she was in the midst of being “possessed,” and that she needed to be cleaned and cared for.

The family eventually reached out to elders with the local Kingdom Hall, who arrived and quickly realized this was anything but a case of possession.

Authorities believe Brittini Ward had been dead for hours by the time 911 was called.

Within weeks, Derek Ward was arrested, charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape.

The case, however, had been tied up in the legal system for over a decade, largely due to concerns over Derek Ward’s mental fitness.

However, Judge Carla Archie, letting the trial move forward, noted that Ward was aware of the charges against him and the potential consequences.

Derek Ward, dressed voluntarily in an orange jumpsuit, served as his own lawyer for the first week of the trial, which started jury selection on August 19, 2024.

During jury selection, opening statements, and the start of the trial, there were several moments where Derek Ward referred to his anatomy, took on the affectation of a mentally handicapped person, repeatedly called a witness “soft” and “weak” while referring to himself as “dominant,” claiming to know the expectations of a “matriarch” in a family, among other moments.

These moments also led to multiple objections from prosecutors along with numerous admonishments from the judge to “avoid commentary” and to concentrate on the evidence and facts of the case.

Prosecutors spent a great deal of time focusing on the events leading up to and after Brittini’s death, calling Brittini’s family as witnesses, along with a number of people tied with the death investigation and DNA analysis.

One of the more emotional moments involved Dawn Wheeler, formerly Ward, Brittini’s mother, where she admitted having had sexual relations with Derek Ward before and after Brittini’s death, claiming that there was no relationship and that she only did so because she claimed to be afraid of Derek Ward. Prosecutors said, around the time of Brittini’s death, her mother was going through a divorce and had been heavily drinking.

Wheeler was initially charged with murder and incest, tied to the case. Both charges were later dismissed, and she pled guilty to concealment of a death. Court records showed she has filed a petition to have her criminal record expunged.

Under cross-examination from Derek Ward, Wheeler tearfully proclaimed, “Everything was fine until you came along.”

The second week of Derek Ward’s trial was marked by a change, with Ward no longer serving as his own counsel.  His standby counsel, public defender Michael Kabakoff, took over as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department DNA analyst took the stand.

The judge affirmed that Kabakoff could not re-litigate things “that (he) would have done differently,” while Kabakoff had been informed by Derek Ward to not pursue a motion to dismiss or a motion for a mistrial.

Derek Ward’s defense consisted of one witness, a detective who was part of the initial investigation, who noted Dawn Wheeler’s actions and reactions on the day of Brittini Ward’s death.  Prosecutors countered, however, with the circumstances of the case.

Kabakoff reiterated in closing arguments that the credibility of the state’s witnesses was in question and there was reasonable doubt for his client.

Prosecutors, in their own closing, reiterated all the evidence involved in the case, along with what they believe happened to Brittini Ward in 2010.

While Ward was facing first-degree murder and first-degree rape charges, the jury also had the option of finding him guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree rape, attempted first-degree rape, and attempted second-degree rape.

Ward was sentenced to life without parole.

The family of Derek Ward, along with at least one juror, could be seen crying in court after the verdict.

Queen City News reached out prior to the verdict to see if Derek Ward’s family would have any comment on the case, and again, approached the family as they were speaking with another media outlet after the verdict was read.

A family member, who was not pleased with the presence of Queen City News approaching for comment, did contend that it was “obvious” that Derek Ward “was mentally ill” and that the judge in the case should not have allowed him to represent himself.

Brittini Ward’s family, who now live in various parts of the United States, were not in court for the verdict.

Derek Ward gave no statement after the verdict and sentence.

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