Isle of Wight-Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Newspapers.....Murder, 1962 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 40, No. 96, Mon., Apr. 23, 1962, p. 2 Carrsville Man Held In Death Of Brother-in-Law CARRSVILLE - Leslie Upton, 38, of Carrsville, was charged with murder Saturday night after the death of his brother-in-law, Roscoe Gregory, Route 1. Gregory died in Raiford Memorial hospital after he had been shot once with a .22 caliber rifle. Upton is being held in Nansemond county jail. He will be given a preliminary hearing May 1. Deputy Sheriff B.F. Dixon of Isle of Wight county said Gregory came to Upton's home last Saturday night to ask Mrs. Upton, his sister, to an Easter event at Rich Square, N.C. He encountered Upton in another part of the house and a shot was heard. Upton, picked up later in Franklin, admitted the shooting. He told Dixon he was afraid of Gregory, and that his brother-in-law threatened him. Gregory was the husband of Mrs. Letha Whitley Gregory and son of Otto and Mrs. Annie Johson Gregory of Carrsville. He was a native of Carrsville and a member of Boykins Baptist church. Besides his wife and parents, he is survived by a son, Richard Earl Gregory, and a daughter, Audrey Faye Gregory, both of Carrsville; two brothers, James Gregory of Rich Square, N.C., and Leslie Gregory of Carrsville; a half- brother, Eddie Lee Edwards of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and four sisters, Mrs. Mildred Cook of Conway, N.C., Mrs. Ruby Upton of Franklin, Mrs. Bertha Bracey of Enfield, N.C., and Mrs. Creathie Bracey of Portsmouth. A funeral service will be conducted tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in the chapel of W.J.M. Holland & Sons Funeral Home by the Rev. Dorsie Phillips of Church of God. Burial will be in Beechwood Cemstery, Boykins. ****************************************************************************** "Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 57, No. 46, Thurs., Apr. 26, 1962, p. 1 Carrsville Man Killed, Brother-In-Law Charged * Leslie Upton Held For Murder CARRSVILLE - Roscoe Gregory, 33, of Route 1 Carrsville, was shot to death Saturday night by a brother-in-law who said he was afraid of him. Arrested in Franklin and charged with murder was Leslie Upton, 38, an unemployed truck driver, also of Carrsville. Franklin police officers Chelsie Phelps and Grady Britt made the arrest in a Franklin service station when Upton pulled in for gas, after hearing a lookout broadcast over police radio. Upton told them when they approached, "I guess I'm the man you're looking for." Upton was the brother-in-law of Mrs. Annie Jones Upton, who was killed in a double-murder in Sedley on Aug. 16, 1958. Mrs. Upton and another woman were killed by a man from Roanoke Rapids who later shot himself. Gregory, Saturday's shooting victim, was a member of the Boykins Baptist Church. Police said he and his brother, James Gregory of Rich Square, N.C., went to the Upton home Saturday night about 10:15 p.m. to invite Mrs. Upton, their sister, on an Easter Egg hunt in Rich Square Sunday. Upton later told police that he left the house when they approached. He was afraid of Roscoe Gregory, he said, because Gregory had "picked on him" and cursed and threatened him in the past. The shooting victim went in search for Upton, police said. He found him outside the house out of view of the others. A shot was heard. Gregory staggered out of the darkness saying he had been shot. * DIDN'T KNOW Upton then left the house. He admitted to Franklin police that he shot Gregory, but said he didn't realize he had killed him. Deputy Sheriff B.F. Dixon of Isle of Wight said that Gregory bled to death. He died a few minutes after reaching the Raiford Hospital in Franklin. He was shot with a 22-caliber rifle. Funeral services were conducted for Gregory Tuesday afternoon at the W.J.M. Holland and Sons Funeral Home in Franklin. Rev. Dorsie Phillips of the Church of God officiated. Burial was in Beechwood Cemetery. Boykins. Gregory was the husband of Mrs. Letha Whitley Gregory, and the son of Otto and Mrs. Annie Johnson Gregory of Carrsville. Besides his wife and parents, he is survived by a son, Richard Earl Gregory, and a daughter Audrey Faye Gregory, both of Carrsville two; brothers, James Gregory of Rich Square, N.C., and Leslie Gregory of Carrsville; a half- brother, Eddie Lee Edwards of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and four sisters, Mrs. Mildred Cook of Conway, N.C.; Mrs. Ruby Upton of Franklin, Mrs. Bertha Bracey of Enfield, N.C., and Mrs. Creathie Bracey of Portsmouth. An article also appeared in the "Virginian-Pilot," Apr. 23, 1962. *Additional information: Roscoe GREGORY, Webster Brick truck driver, b. 21 May 1922, Boykins, Southampton Co., fatally shot 21 Apr 1962, Carrsville, interred in Beechwood Cemetery (Annex 2, Plot 71*). Boykins, 24 Apr 1962, D.Cert. 9413 (Franklin #43) Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Beechwood Cemetery list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/beechwd.txt A photo of his grave markings - added by James Arnold Francis - is posted with Find a Grave Memorial #156692975. His widow remarried twice, but is buried in the same plot. His mother Annie Mary (JOHNSON GREGORY; Mrs. Wm. Dennis) EDWARDS (1905 - 1983) is also buried there. His sister Ruby Louise (GREGORY) FOWLER [UPTON] is buried in Annex 1, Section D, Plot 18. ****************************************************************************** Leslie UPTON, b. 22 Sep 1920, Jackson, Northampton Co., NC, d. 19 Dec 1978, interred in Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Rich Square, Northampton Co., NC Articles ("Suffolk News-Herald" & "Tidewater News," Aug. 1958) on the murder of Leslie's sister-in-law Annie (JONES; Mrs. Roy Melvin) UPTON are posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/19580818nh.txt His brother Roy (1912 - 1976) is buried in Poplar Spring Cemetery, Franklin. SCHS Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplarun.txt His obit ("Suffolk News-Herald," May 10, 1976, p. 2) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/u135r1ob.txt Roy & Leslie were sons of Cornelius Godwin and Estelle (HARRELL) UPTON. Their mother (1892 - 1954) is buried in the UPTON family cemetery, Rich Square, Northampton Co., NC. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/news/19620423nh.txt