New trial ordered for New Hanover County murder convict | News

RALEIGH, NC (WECT) - The North Carolina Court of Appeals has reversed the murder conviction of a man from New Hanover County and ordered a new trial.

Andre Sharpless was convicted of first degree murder in March 2011. At the time, Sharpless was found guilty of killing Tarell Phillips on North Tenth Street in December 2009.  Sharpless and another person, Kamala Dow, were also shot during the incident.

Sharpless was also convicted of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, first degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

Sharpless' attorney appealed the convictions on two counts, but the one in which the Court of Appeals agreed centered around a 911 call that was entered into evidence.  The 911 call came from an anonymous citizen who told police they should treat the third victim sent to the hospital in 2009 as a suspect due to that person being involved in a narcotics robbery.

The attorney appealed on the claim that was hearsay and should have been inadmissible. The court agreed.

The case has been remanded back to New Hanover County for a new trial.

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