Police in Burlington are seeking the public’s help in tracking down a defendant in a first degree murder trial who apparently went on the lam while the court was in recess during his trial on Friday.
According to the city’s police department, Litego Dariyonta Marshall failed to return to court after Friday’s lunch recess for the resumption of his trial for first degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
The 47-year-old black male was originally charged with these two offenses in January of 2018 after he was implicated in a fatal holdup that reportedly grew out of a drug deal on December 20, 2017.
The state ultimately took this case to trial earlier this month, and by the time the jury had completed its deliberations, the defendant had been found guilty on both charges.
The jury’s guilty verdict was formally entered into the court record on Monday. By that point, however, Marshall was no longer around as the court prepared to enter the subsequent, sentencing phase of the trial.
On Friday afternoon, Burlington’s police department issued an arrest warrant for the defendant after he “failed to return to court for his ongoing trial after the lunch recess.” The department went on to issue an appeal to the public on Monday for any information that might help its officers bring the now convicted murderer to justice.
According to the city’s police department, Marshall stands 5-feet 10-inches tall and weighs roughly 210 pounds. He has several tattoos on his arms and torso including the letters “TEGO” emblazoned across his chest. According to the department, Marshall was last seen driving a silver, Mercedes-Benz C360 near Graham, and may have gone underground in either Burlington or Greensboro – both of which he’s been known to frequent.
Police urge anyone with information about Marshall’s current whereabouts to contact the department at 336-229-3500 or call Crime Stoppers at 336-229-7100 to leave an anonymous tip.
