Leona L. Johnson, 50, worked as a secretary for the Rocky Mount Police Department’s Uniform Operations Division. On December 21, 2007, she failed to report for work and officers checked her home on Compass Creek Drive. They forced entry after finding a broken glass in the back door and discovered Johnson and her friend Deborah Scriven, 44, each shot to death in separate rooms. Deborah’s son, Devin Scriven, 21, was also shot and survived after being airlifted to hospital in critical condition.

Police say the shootings happened between 3:45 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. and were not random; investigators determined the victims likely knew their killer. Witnesses reported seeing two people leave the scene. Antonio Wardell Matthews was charged; his 2011 trial ended in a mistrial. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2012, received a five-year sentence and was released on parole after eight months. Authorities have identified a person of high interest and continue to offer up to $15,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information that could help bring justice for Leona Johnson and Deborah Scriven is asked to come forward.