The Carroll County Circuit Court will be busy in the coming months as its last quarterly round of indictments handed down Sept. 16 included three murder indcitments. Additionally, Carroll County Circuit Court is set to host a five-day murder trial Oct. 7-11 against Kevin Lee Sizemore in the July 27, 2022 shooting death of Laura Caroline ‘Carrie’ Buffkin, 30.
The jury trial is set to begin Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. in Carroll County Circuit Court for Sizemore, a Hillsville man charged with murder after Carroll County authorities were dispatched to an unresponsive female victim in Woodlawn. According to Carroll County Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp, Carroll County Fire and Rescue, Pipers Gap Rescue Squad and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched on July 27, 2022 at approximately 11:30 a.m. to 68 Fairlawn Lane in Woodlawn to a reported unresponsive female patient.
“EMS personnel on scene determined that the victim was deceased. The victim was identified as Laura Caroline ‘Carrie’ Buffkin, 30 years of age,” Kemp said. “Deputies observed what appeared to be an apparent gunshot wound, secured the scene, began conducting interviews and contacted the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. Investigators arrived on scene to further the investigation of the incident. This investigation was ruled a homicide.”
Kemp said during the course of the investigation, Sizemore was identified as a person of interest, and two days later, on July 29, 2022, investigators made contact with Sizemore, who was found to be in possession of a concealed handgun on his person.
“As a result of the investigation, Sizemore was charged and arrested for the murder of Laura “Carrie” Buffkin, use of firearm in commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm while subject of a protective order, felony larceny of a firearm, and possession of a concealed weapon,” Kemp said.
While Sizemore was indicted in 2023 on those charges, three others were indicted for murder in Carroll County in the Sept. 16 Grand Jury session. One of those indicted this session was David Wesley Bolen, Sr., 82, indicted for second degree murder and two firearm offenses in the April 29 shooting death of his wife, Jean Jackson Bolen, 84, in Fancy Gap.
Brandon Gray Rector, 40, was also indicted Sept. 16 for second degree murder and discharging a firearm within an occupied dwelling in the Jan. 12 shooting death of his girlfriend, Morgen Brewer, 30, in Hillsville.
Kyle Travis Snow, 39, was indicted for two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count each of second degree murder, possession of a firearm after being convicted of a violent felony, attempted carjacking, possession of a firearm while in possession of a Schedule II drug (methamphetamine), discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, and possession of a Schedule I/II drug (methamphetamine) related to an incident from April 2023 in which Kevin Dwayne Barker, 44, of Winston-Salem, N.C., was killed.
Carroll County Commonwealth’s Attorney Roger Brooks said Bolen’s case had previously been in the Juvenile & Domestic Court until the grand jury indictments, which moves the case up to the circuit court. Brooks said he felt like Bolen’s case would be heard in this quarter of circuit court before the next round of indictments in December. A date has still yet to be set, though the Commonwealth’s Attorney expects one soon.
“His attorney has got to select a date with us to go forward and to determine what plea does he want to enter. Does he want to go to jury trial, does he want a bench trial, does he simply want to enter a bare plea. We can reach a plea agreement and write it all up, everybody signs off on it and submit it to the court for the court’s approval, and if the court approves it then the court will adopt that,” Brooks said. “A bare plea is we go in without any agreement and the defendant stipulates the evidence would be sufficient to find them guilty. I can enter an Alford Plea because the evidence looks overwhelming against me and I don’t think I am going to be found not guilty but I still maintain my innocence. Or he can simply enter a guilty plea.”
After that, Brooks said the judge will order a pre-sentencing report, which will take about 60 days so the probation officer can conduct a criminal background check, interview the defendant, turn over the official report to law enforcement, conduct interviews with the defendant’s family, siblings, children, etc. to try to get a reasonable feedback on the person’s history, such as military records and employment.
“It shows what the person is doing in the community to give the judge a better cross-sectional view of what this person is like, what is this person’s history, how has he been in the past, to help the judge make a seasoned decision on what’s the appropriate thing to do. Then sentencing guidelines will be prepared that offers a recommendation to the court,” Brooks said. “The court is not bound by those and the court can go to the maximum the law says or the minimum the law says. The judge reviews those guidelines and then makes an independent decision based on all the factors together of what he wants to do.”
Moving on to the second-degree murder case against Rector, Brooks said Rector’s attorney has continued it into the December term of court, which will be set during the next docket call on Nov. 26. The case against Snow also is currently set for scheduling on the Nov. 26 docket call, according to Carroll County Court Records.
Allen Worrell can be reached at (276) 779-4062 or on X@AWorrellTCN
Local News
