Suspect arrested for one of six Rocky Mount women slain

A 31-year-old registered sex offender has been arrested and charged with the first degree murder of Taraha Sehnic Nicholson, 28, whose body was found north of Rocky Mount North Carolina in March.

Nicholson is one of six women found dead in the area since 2005. Three other women are missing.

The six dead women all came from similar backgrounds. All had arrests on charges related to drugs and prostitution. But authorities have not linked the slayings. At least not yet.

Arrested was Antwan Maurice Pittman, 31, convicted in November 1994 of taking indecent liberties with a 2-year-old. Pittman received probation for his three-year sentence. The probation later was revoked and Pittman entered prison in January 1996 and was released in April 1997.

The Edgecombe County Sheriff sheriff's office formed a task force in June with the State Bureau of Investigation and asked the FBI to consult after a sixth body was found along rural roads outside Rocky Mount. That woman was Janice Hargrove.

"It took six women to die for the community to even find out about it — they didn't want the little town of Rocky Mount to be on the map ... and now it's national news," said Pepita Hargrove, sister of the victim found in June. "It should have been national news when two girls were killed," she said.

She's right. I hadn't heard anything about these killings until I stumbled on a short Associated Press story this morning.

Could it be because most of the victims aren't white?

Back To Top