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The two accused suspects entered Eve Carson's home before forcing her to accompany them to an ATM machine, according to a confidential witness quoted in search warrants unsealed Friday.
A judge unsealed six search warrants Friday used in the arrests of two men suspected in the fatal shooting of Eve Carson, the former student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Police have charged Laurence Lovette, 17, and Demario Atwater, 22, both of Durham, with first-degree murder. Both are being held in jail without bond.
According to the warrants, a confidential witness said Atwater and Lovette entered Carson's residence through an open door and forced Carson to accompany them to her car and take them to an ATM machine. The warrants indicate $1,400 was taken from Carson's bank account.
The confidential witness also told police that Carson was shot multiple times by Lovette and was then shot by Atwater. A note in the warrants indicates that forensics had confirmed two different weapons were used in the murder.
The warrants also revealed that police seized shoes from both Lovette's and Atwater's homes during searches. Carson's cell phone, keys, ATM card and purse were stolen during the crime, but only the cell phone has been recovered, the warrants said.
When Atwater was arrested and charged March 12, he admitted to being in Chapel Hill the night Carson died and admitted being in Carson's Toyota.
Superior Court Judge R. Allen Baddour granted a newspaper's request to make the court documents public, despite the objections of defense attorneys who said doing so could taint potential jurors.
Orange Country District Attorney Jim Woodall told the judge he no longer opposed releasing the warrants because efforts have been made to ensure the safety of witnesses and informants.
"For investigative purposes, the state feels like there's still some things to be done, but most of the investigation has now been completed," Woodall said.
The 22-year-old Carson was found shot to death March 5 in the middle of a residential street in Chapel Hill, about a mile from campus. The Athens, Ga. native had been shot several times, including once in the right temple, police have said. Her autopsy report remains sealed but is expected to be released next week.
Lovette's attorney, Karen Bethea-Shields said the warrants would reveal hearsay which is not valid.
"If in fact we open up the search warrants and give this to the public at this time, it looks like, in fact, that the defendant Lovette, would be guilty based upon statements not tested."
But an attorney for the Herald-Sun of Durham, which sought search warrants, said the media and members of the public should have access to the documents.
"We feel like there's absolutely no constitutionally sufficient reason to maintain the seal," he told the judge.

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