Man convicted of Huntersville murder after robbery attempt gets life in prison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A man has been sentenced to life in prison in the 2018 murder at a Huntersville apartment following a conviction Thursday.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kelton Silver was sentenced to life for the murder of 28-year-old Zonta Dunlap.

The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Homicide Team tried Silver, 29, for first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The jury found him guilty as charged for killing the Concord man from the trail that began Sept. 23.

Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant sentenced Silver to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder charge and 18-31 months in prison for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge. That sentence will run concurrently with the life sentence

Court documents show on the morning of Dec. 26, 2018, Silver and his co-defendant, Ivan Petty, were meeting with Dunlap’s cousin in the garage of the cousin’s Huntersville residence on Bryton Pass Lane. After Petty attempted to rob the cousin, he fought Petty in an attempt to get away and, during the struggle, Petty fired two shots, one of which struck the victim’s cousin.

After the cousin was shot, he reportedly ran through the home pursued by the defendant and Petty. At that time, Dunlap and his twin brother were looking down the staircase to see what was happening. Both Silver and Petty fired shots up the stairs striking Dunlap. Dunlap died on the law after being shot multiple times.

Documents show Petty was determined to be wearing an electronic monitor at the time of the murder, and his monitor showed he was at the scene at the time the murder took place. Home surveillance video from outside the front door also showed Silver and Petty at the scene.

Prior to the start of the trial, Petty pled guilty to second-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, among others. Grant sentenced him to 360-444 months in prison.

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