North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 14, 1985
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 23 years
Badge Number: A-147
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 14, 1985
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Commuted to life
Trooper Raymond Worley was shot and killed after stopping a van. During the stop he placed the driver of the vehicle in his patrol car. A second van then pulled up at the scene and the driver of that van approached Trooper Worley. He then produced a handgun and shot Trooper Worley. The man turned out to be the brother of the person Trooper Worley had detained. The two were driving vans filled with stolen property from a grocery store they had broken into in Pender County.
The suspects fled the scene after shooting Trooper Worley. When state highway patrol dispatchers could not raise him by radio, a DMV officer from the I-95 weigh station was dispatched to respond for backup. The responding officer found him dead at the scene.
Four suspects were ultimately arrested after a manhunt involving over 500 state, local and federal officers from North Carolina and Virginia. Three were convicted of accessory to murder and possession of stolen property. The shooter, 30, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death on December 5th, 1985. The death sentence was overturned by a U.S. Circuit court in February 2003. His sentence was commuted to life in prison on July 20th, 2006. As of June 10, 2023, he remains in prison.
The other three suspects were sentenced to 9 to 10 years. One was released from prison on October 1st, 1990. The other two were released on Febuary 9th, 1992, and September 13th, 1993.
Trooper Worley had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 23 years and was assigned to Troop A in Halifax County.