He needs to be sent in the gas chamber for killing that lady..them for the most part killing her in front of that child..she gonna remember this for the rest of her life.
Before his capture at a Virginia Beach hotel Friday, the correctional officer accused of killing his child's mother confessed to it -- repeatedly, according to a Richmond County Sheriff's investigator.
He told co-workers via voice messages, he told his ex-wife, and he told police, who reached him on his cell phone soon after the shooting, Investigator James Kelly said.
Earl Demetrius Dinkins, 42, said he wasn't going to prison and went on the run, Investigator Kelly said. Police thought he was heading toward California, where his brother lives, but it turns out he headed north and went to the beach.
Virginia Beach authorities arrested him Friday after a 71/2-hour standoff at a Days Inn on the 1000 block of Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach Police Master Po-lice Officer Adam Bernstein said. That section of the avenue runs along the coastline in the Fort Story area.
Officer Bernstein said the Richmond County Sheriff's Office told Virginia Beach authorities Mr. Dinkins might be in their area. The department's Oceanfront Community-Oriented Polic-ing Squad began trolling hotel parking lots along the beach, looking for a black 1997 GMC Jimmy.
Bike patrol officers spotted the sport utility vehicle at the hotel around 11:15 p.m. Thursday, and police confirmed Mr. Dinkins was registered there, staying in a third-floor room, the Virginia Beach officer said. Warrants were obtained and a SWAT team was on hand at 1 a.m.
Police evacuated the third floor then got Mr. Dinkins on the phone around 3 a.m., Officer Bernstein said. He hung up on them a few times throughout the morning; negotiators resorted to a bull horn until he returned to the phone.
"We kept him talking," Officer Bernstein said.
Mr. Dinkins made demands that police couldn't meet; then he made one they could accommodate. Officer Bernstein wouldn't go into detail about the negotiations, but said Mr. Dinkins emerged from the room at 10:34 a.m. and was taken into custody without a struggle.
"No gas, no breaking down the door," he said.
Investigator Kelly said the U.S. Marshals Service got involved in the hunt and pinpointed Mr. Dinkins to the Virginia Beach area.
Authorities considered Mr. Dinkins armed and dangerous during the five-day search. Investigator Kelly said police found a gun in his hotel room, but he won't know whether it's the one from the shooting until ballistic tests are done.
Mr. Dinkins is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, Sirlinda Vernesa Price, 34, in her home in front of the couple's 2-year-old daughter just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The child wasn't injured and is now in the care of her maternal family.
Along with the confessions, police also have a living adult witness. Ms. Price's new boyfriend, Melroy Stephen Browman, 38, was shot in his upper left shoulder and recovered.
Ms. Price was at home with Mr. Browman when Mr. Dinkins broke down the door and opened fire with a small-caliber handgun, police said. Police say they think Mr. Dinkins was enraged by Ms. Price's new relationship.
Mr. Dinkins, of Mount View Drive in Augusta, had worked as a corrections officer at the McCormick Correctional Institution, a South Carolina state prison, said sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles.
Mr. Dinkins was retired from the Army Reserve and had served in Desert Storm, the lieutenant said.
He's now being held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, awaiting extradition by Augusta authorities, Officer Bernstein said.
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
He needs to be sent in the gas chamber for killing that lady..them for the most part killing her in front of that child..she gonna remember this for the rest of her life.
I can't imagine being that crazy over any human being other than my children that I would be willing to give up my life and go to jail for them. He's an attractive man and could have easily found someone else, sad sad story. I hope that poor baby can someday forget, women beware there are others out there. My prayers are with both families.
Too bad he didn't fight so he coud be taken down.
that poor child and her family my heart truly go out to them in thistragis time of need but God never put on you more than you can bear just hang in there it'll be a better days ahead. i'm just sad he didn't use the other alternatiivie and just walk away.
He will probably claim he is crazy because of desert storm and get off with just a few years in jail seeing a psychiatrist, and it will cost us millions of our tax dollars...
NOTHING is attractive about that killer!
Sorry, I forgot. Innocent 'til proven guilty. : )
I am glad that this "KILLER" has been cought. This person, because he isn't a man, has taken a mother from her child, a daughter from her parents, a siblin from her sister (a twin sister at that) and brother. Our family has suffered a lost and the good things is that WE ARE A PRAYING FAMILY AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD WE WILL PULL THROUGH.
This is the way an arrest should go -- No gas, no breaking down the door. It sounds like they took there time and reasoned with the man. It sounds like he is guilty as hell, but with the right lawyer he might be able to come out okay with this. There is a dead woman and a child without a mother -- this is very sad, but do you want the child to be without a father too? What provoked him to do this? We don't know.
What "provoked him to do this?" His loss of control over a woman who was probably abused by this tyrant. Men who dominate do so through control and coercion which results in abusive behaviors. He deserves to be in prison; if he receives the death penalty, that too is justifiable; after all, he didn't care about the victim, their child, or the other man. If the child receives appropriate counseling (yes, even tots can be provided counseling), then she has an opportunity to recover from the psychological wounds this imposed upon her. Condolences to the survivors.
Maybel8 – I didn’t see where they have charged him with anything yet? I am sure they will charge him with murder, but it appears to me they could also charge him with possession of a handgun during the commission of a violent crime (he may be exempt from that being he is a corrections officer) -- interstate flight to avoid prosecution and possible other charges. It will be interesting to see the charges.
I doubt he gets the death penalty for this.
Let him go--he killed a ho!!
BTurner: Thank you for your reply; however, charges are pending. As for his being a corrections officer, he is NOT exempt from the charge of 'use of a firearm in the commission of a crime;' no officer is exempt from this charge, whether they are a state trooper, deputy, or police officer. Most correctional officers do not have guns issued to them; being a former correctional officer, our use of firearms was limited and the only time we had one issued was when we were assigned to tower duty. Our 'weapon,' was our radio. The philosophy behind the non-issuance of firearms was an inmate could take the weapon from the officer--and, unless you have ever worked corrections, the philosophy is sound.
Paulsponn you are nothing but a sick bastar-. What if someone called your wife, daughter or Mother a "HO"? How would you feel?
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