THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260496
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LAURA LAFAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Murder charges were sent to a grand jury Thursday in the case of two men who allegedly broke into a disabled car parked by the side of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway and then shot the car's owner in the head when he returned to his car and confronted them.
Cory DeLaurencio, 19, is charged with first-degree murder, robbery, attempted grand larceny and using a gun during a felony in the Jan. 14 death of Traebon Thomas, a 26-year-old Navy man from Eustis, Fla. DeLaurencio's companion, Aaron T. Merritt, 24, is charged with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit larceny.
According to testimony Thursday, DeLaurencio confessed to the killing but said the incident occurred after Merritt pulled over in front of Thomas' car at about 11:30 p.m. and suggested that DeLaurencio ``mess with it.''
DeLaurencio tried to break the car window with rocks, then opened the door with a screwdriver. As he was perusing it for valuables, Thomas showed up and asked him what he was doing.
A state police investigator testified that DeLaurencio said he shot Thomas in the head, then returned to Merritt's car.
``He told me (that) once he got into the vehicle, Mr. Merritt said, `Aren't you going to check him?' '' testified Special Agent R.E. ``Rudy'' Jones.
``Mr. DeLaurencio said he went up, took Mr. Thomas' wallet, and gave Mr. Merritt a couple of twenties,'' he said.
Another state police investigator testified that Merritt's version of events blames DeLaurencio for suggesting that they stop and vandalize Thomas' car. Merritt said he listened to music as he sat and waited for DeLaurencio, according to Special Agent Lloyd Dobbs Edwards Jr.
Carlo Gilliam, a passing motorist who gave Thomas a ride so he could call a tow truck and then drove him back to his car, testified that he fled the scene after watching Thomas confront DeLaurencio and then disappear after a loud ``bang.''
Gilliam called police and gave them a description of the defendants' car. He later pointed them out to police in the parking lot of a club at Oceana Naval Air Station.
Both defendants were in the process of being dishonorably discharged from the Navy at the time of the incident, according to prosecutor Cynthia Shepherd.
KEYWORDS: GRAND JURY MURDER SHOOTING by CNB