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New charge in 2014 murder of Suffolk 82-year-old

Posted at 4:15 PM, Apr 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-04 23:42:40-04

Suffolk, Va. - A man previously charged in the September 2014 murder of an 82-year-old Suffolk man has been arrested on new charges.

Leon Jerome Hayes, 35, was directly indicted on Friday on Murder By Mob.

According to court documents obtained by NewsChannel 3, Carter composed a mob or was an accessory to a mob in which the mob assembled to commit an act of violence upon Donald Carter that resulted in his death.

Police found 82-year-old Donald Carter unresponsive in the 100 block of E. Washington Street in downtown Suffolk on September 22, 2014. He had been shot in the torso.

Hayes and two others, Naomi Lambert and Katron Walker, were charged in 2014 with 1st Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Use of Firearm in Commission of a Felony and Attempted Armed Robbery.

Leon Jerome Hayes was charged with Murder by Mob/Lynching in the 2014 murder of an 82-year-old Suffolk man.

Leon Jerome Hayes was charged with Murder by Mob/Lynching in the 2014 murder of an 82-year-old Suffolk man.

Lambert pleaded guilty in December 2014 and was sentenced to 22 years in prison in November 2015.

The former Mayor of Suffolk, Andy Damiani, says he hopes the court proceedings do not drag out much longer.

"Things like this, you never get over it," says Damiani. "Don was really a people's person, that's why he was successful in business, everybody knew him. We miss him."

Carter's children have continued to run his business, Carter's Furniture, in downtown Suffolk.

His daughter tells NewsChannel 3 they were asked not to comment on the case with two of the suspects still facing trial.

NewsChannel 3 reached out to the Suffolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office about the new charge and the charges pending against Walker, but we were told we will not get a response until the Commonwealth's Attorney returns from training.

Previous Coverage:

Parents of man charged in Suffolk businessman’s death say their son is no killer

 Third person arrested in murder of 82-year-old man in Suffolk

 Two charged with killing Suffolk business man previously convicted

 UPDATE: Two charged with murder, armed robbery after 82-year-old man is shot to death in Suffolk