Leonel Ciprian

Leonel Ciprian, a 29-year-old Hispanic male, lived with his family in Whiteville, North Carolina. He and his wife, 25-year-old Nancy Trujillo Espinoza, were parents to a 5-year-old son, Alexis Ciprian Trujillo. The family’s life was shattered in a violent home invasion that also targeted Leonel’s mother, Rafaela Noyola Jaramillo.

Just before 7 a.m. on September 7, 2019, first responders were called to the family’s home on Brittany Lane. Inside and in the yard, they discovered four people suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite their efforts, Leonel, Nancy, and young Alexis died from their injuries. The boy’s grandmother, Rafaela, was the sole survivor of the attack. Investigators determined that the assailants had broken in through a back door and stolen the family’s 2011 silver Ford Fusion, which was later found abandoned on nearby Twin Pines Road. Authorities stated early on that they believed the attack was targeted and not a random act of violence.

The investigation, led by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, continued for months. In February 2020, authorities announced two arrests in the case. On February 24, a 17-year-old male was taken into custody. The following day, police arrested 30-year-old Prentis Deshawne McDuffie, also known as "Chopper." Both were charged with three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and larceny of a motor vehicle, among other offenses.

The juvenile, later identified as Darieus Rashad Washington, faced a six-week trial. He testified in his own defense, but on March 18, 2025, a jury found him guilty on all charges after deliberating for about an hour. The verdict, which included three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, and larceny, was delivered on what would have been Alexis Ciprian Trujillo’s 11th birthday.

Prentis Deshawne McDuffie’s case went to trial later that year. In September 2025, after a three-week trial, a jury convicted him of three counts of first-degree murder and assault inflicting serious bodily injury with intent to kill. On September 16, McDuffie was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 207 to 261 months in prison for the attempted murder of Rafaela Noyola. His co-defendant, Darieus Washington, is also serving three life sentences. With both men tried and convicted, the case was closed as of September 2025.