Victim's family says they saw, spoke with suspects moments after Orange County shooting

Family members of one of the shooting victims in Cedar Grove said they saw and spoke with the suspects at the crime scene shortly after the crime, though they didn’t know at the time the men were involved.

"He was asking my nephew, 'Is that your father in there?' They seemed to be real nervous acting,” said Randy Wade, whose brother Alexander “Skip” Wade was killed along with Phillip Johnson.

The men were victims in a robbery/homicide in which a cash register with money was taken sometime before 4 p.m. on Wednesday at “Week in Treasures” on Carr Store Road.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrested Curtis White Jr., 18, and Ladell Faucette, 22, charging them with two counts of first degree murder and one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Randy Wade said authorities told him details.

“They had their back turned, he pulled out a gun and shot Phillip and Skip in the back of the head,” he said.

Wade said a hat was found at the store.

“It had like five bullet holes in it,” he said.

White and Faucette left the scene, but returned to get more money, he said.

“He decided, 'I should have checked their pockets,’” Wade said.

While the sheriff’s office would not confirm or deny whether the men left and returned, NBC 17 confirmed with the North Carolina Highway Patrol that a trooper pulled White and Faucette over around 3:50 p.m. Wednesday for speeding on Carr Store Road.

“He came back to rob them again, to go in their pocket, but by then someone was on the scene. I mean a cold-blooded, dumb, crime. It was just cold-blooded,” Wade said.

He said the suspects saw Skip Wade’s wife, who found her husband and Johnson shot. They asked her if the store was open and what was happening, Randy Wade said.

He said White and Faucette had to stay because it would have been obvious to drive off as authorities arrived.

“They couldn’t get out. That’s like world’s dumbest criminals,” Wade said.

Still, they were not arrested at that time.

The suspects made their first appearances in court Friday, giving Wade’s family their first look at them since discovering they are the suspected killers.

"Oh, I wanted to strangle him. He knew Skip. He knew Phillip. And to do that, to kill them over nothing. It's just unbelievable,” Wade said.

“Oh, I was mad. Yea, real upset. So upset that you could let them release those guys and don’t waste taxpayers’ money by trying them. Take care of it on the street,” he said.

Curtis’ father said he did not think his son is involved.

Fabio Aguilar said he is a friend of both Curtis and Faucette.

“In my heart, I can’t believe it. I guess when they say if he’s proven guilty, I guess I’ll believe it then. But, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t with them. So, I don’t know what to believe,” he said.

He said Curtis had access to guns and liked to target practice, but was not capable of the crimes.

“Both of them, I just don’t believe how they both would do that, how they’re sitting in jail right now for that. I just.. mind-blowing,” Aguilar said.

Both men are being held without bond. NBC 17 has learned Faucette is being held at Central Prison in Raleigh. White is being held at Polk Correctional Institution in Butner.

White and Faucette are also charged in an separate armed robbery at Sam’s Food Mart on N.C. Highway 70 West in Mebane, which happened a day before the murders.

According to warrents, White and Faucette confessed to the killing on Thursday, Jan. 26.