Dorthia Bynum

Case summary

Dorthia Bynum was sentenced to a minimum of 124 years in prison after pleading guilty in Cumberland County Superior Court on February 14, 2000.

She was convicted of reduced charges under a plea bargain reached with the Alamance County District Attorney’s Office after she agreed to testify against co-defendants Harold Jones and his nephew Joseph Jones. Bynum’s plea followed charges relating to the kidnapping, sodomy and beating death of 10-year-old Tiffany Long.

Background

Tiffany Long lived around the corner at 439 Logan St. with her grandmother and five siblings. She disappeared late on October 16, 1998.

Tiffany knew the accused, including Bynum and the two boys. The three had once lived together at 614 Lakeside Ave. Investigators later found Tiffany’s body behind a vacant house connected to 614 Lakeside Ave., where Harold Jones and Joseph Jones had lived and where Bynum frequently stayed.

During the investigation, police learned that Tiffany wrote a love letter to Harold Jones, which angered Bynum. The original plan was described as to scare Long and teach her a lesson, but it escalated.

The offence

Tiffany Long was abducted and killed in October 1998.

After being held down, she was raped. Her beaten body was later found behind a garage at 614 Lakeside Ave. Investigators described evidence including a TV cable looped around her neck, and that her shirt was stained with fecal matter.

Police found Tiffany Long’s body under a brown curtain behind a garage at 614 Lakeside Ave. A TV cable was looped around her neck. The investigation also described that she was choked with a coaxial cable and beaten to death with a bedrail.

A pool of blood was found in the right front bedroom, and drag marks were found in the house and on a path outside the house. A backpack purse by the back porch was identified as Tiffany’s and contained church “bus bucks,” candy, an earring, and a note that read “Dorthia loves Harold.”

Investigators also found a blue and white coat and a pair of panties outside the fence of the backyard, as well as a bloody bed rail. The investigation documented footprints and bicycle tire tracks in the blood trail.

Medical findings described lacerations on Tiffany’s head, wounds from the back of her head down to her skull, and ligature marks around her neck. Dr. John Butts, Chief Medical Examiner of North Carolina and an expert in forensic pathology, determined that the cause of Tiffany’s death was “blows to the head that broke, cracked the skull, caused bruising and bleeding over the brain and within the brain.” He also opined that the lacerations on Tiffany’s head were caused by a heavy object with a narrow edge. Tiffany’s vagina and rectum showed signs of trauma.

Investigation

After Tiffany Long was reported missing, Burlington police searched for more than eight hours before her body was found.

Investigators contacted neighborhood teenagers who knew Tiffany and who had attended Lowe Memorial Baptist Church with her. Police later used information from a neighbor who said she saw Tiffany with one of the boys who used to live at 614 Lakeside Ave.

Evidence linked the accused to the scene, including forensic analysis identifying DNA matching the defendant in the case narrative and blood stains on clothing. The investigation described fecal matter on seized clothing and confirmation by Dr. Butts’ investigation.

Arrest and charges

On October 17, 1998, investigators went to 614 Lakeside Ave. and discovered a crime scene. Later that day, police made first contact with three suspects at 1908 Morningside Drive.

On October 19, 1998, a teacher alerted police that Dorthia Bynum made comments about Tiffany Long being killed by a TV cable cord. Since this information had not been made public, police suspected her of perpetrating the crime. She was taken into custody and gave a statement, and she was then charged with first degree murder, first degree kidnapping, and first degree sexual offense.

On October 21, 1998, Bynum walked into the courtroom wearing shackles and was flanked by her court-appointed attorneys. She was asked questions by Judge Johnson in connection with the plea agreement later held in Fayetteville.

Plea and trial-related proceedings

Bynum was charged with first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in Cumberland County Superior Court.

Superior Court Judge E. Lynn Johnson moved the court proceedings to Fayetteville because of pretrial publicity and postponed sentencing until after the trials of Harold Jones and Joseph Jones.

During the plea hearing, Judge Johnson asked Bynum if she understood the terms of the plea bargain:

“Do you personally plead guilty to the charges I just described to you?”

Bynum replied:

“Yes, sir,”

Bynum’s parents and aunt attended, and Nancy Long’s sister attended with her. Bynum’s court-appointed attorneys were Craig Thompson and Andrew Hanford.

Bynum agreed to testify against co-defendants Harold Jones and Joseph Jones as part of a plea bargain. The plea bargain meant she could have faced the death penalty without the deal. Under the terms of the plea bargain, sentencing was set to at least 124 years in prison, and she still could be tried for first-degree murder if she did not cooperate with the district attorney’s office in its cases against her co-defendants.

Sentencing

On February 14, 2000, Bynum pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and four other charges and received a total sentence of a minimum of 124 years and a maximum of 150 years.

The reduced charge followed a plea bargain reached with the Alamance County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Johnson postponed sentencing until after the trials of Harold Jones and Joseph Jones, and then sentenced Bynum on February 14, 2000.

Bynum also pleaded guilty to two counts each of first-degree sex offense and first-degree rape, and one count each of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape.

Craig Thompson, Bynum’s attorney, told the Times-News:

“Basically it would take a pardon from the governor to get her out, and that’s not likely,”

Appeals

No appeal information was provided for Bynum.

Outcome

The plea bargain resulted in a reduced charge of second-degree murder and a sentence of at least 124 years in prison (with a maximum of 150 years).

Bynum agreed to testify against co-defendants Harold Jones and Joseph Jones, who were charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, rape and other sex offenses. Separate jury verdicts and sentencing were described for Harold Jones and Joseph Jones, and both were reported to have appealed.

Aftermath

Nancy Long, Tiffany Long’s grandmother and legal guardian, described surprise at the plea bargain and said she was told there would be a hearing but did not know what was going to happen until she arrived in Fayetteville. She also said she was not prepared for what occurred.

Long said:

“I’m stunned,”
“I’m not sure how I feel. I was not prepared for this, to be honest.”

Rob Johnson filed a motion asking that Harold Jones and Joseph Jones be tried together.

Other details

Bynum was 18 at the time of sentencing and was also described in the record narrative as 17 at the time of charged conduct.

Harold Jones was described as 16 in early charge descriptions, and Joseph Jones was described as 13 in the record narrative that included a transfer hearing.

The investigation narrative described a love letter from Tiffany Long to Harold Jones that angered Bynum.

The investigation narrative included testimony about a bed rail, a TV cable, and forensic evidence linking clothing and biological evidence to Tiffany’s body and the accused.

Linda Priest, Cumberland County’s trial coordinator, said she was not told of the hearing until just before it began.

Alamance County District Attorney Rob Johnson declined to comment after the plea hearing.