Whiteville, NC – On April 29, 2018, the Dollar General located at 25 Dock Road in Whiteville was robbed at gun point by two masked subjects. The manager and a store employee locked the store and were getting into their vehicles when a masked male came from the side of the store with a shotgun in his hand. The subject pointed the shotgun at the victims and demanded them to unlock the store door and reenter same. Another masked male appeared and entered the store with the armed subject and the victims. Once inside, the subjects demanded money from the safe. They were advised that the safe was on a time delay. The subjects decided to wait for the safe to open. During this delay, the subjects demanded the victims to empty the register tills and filled a bag with packs of cigarettes. When the safe opened, they emptied the safe. The subjects also removed merchandise from the store shelves, putting same into a bag. The subjects left the store in an unknown direction of travel. Over $5,000 dollars and over 150 packs of cigarettes were stolen during the incident.
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Unit investigated the incident. A former Dollar General employee, Seth Spivey, was identified as a person of interest. He was terminated from the Old Dock store approximately three weeks prior to the armed robbery. The investigators utilized available resources to determine Spivey’s location.
On May 02, 2018, a traffic stop was initiated on Spivey on Highway 130 in front of the same Dollar General store. Spivey did have a concealed firearm inside of his vehicle. Spivey was detained and brought to the Sheriff’s Office for an interview. During the interview, the co-conspirator was identified. At the conclusion of the interview, investigators were able to present the probable cause needed to arrest and charge Spivey for the above incident.
Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Investigators obtained a search warrant for the second subject’s residence, located at 1756 Lebanon Church Road in Clarendon. On May 3, 2018, investigators executed the search warrant on the residence. Information obtained prior to executing the search warrant, identified the subject, Christopher Blackwell, as being home. When the search was executed, the subject was not located inside of the residence. Investigators did locate a trap door that led to the crawl space underneath the residence. It was determined that the subject escaped through the trap door when members of the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office arrived to execute the search warrant. After approximately 15 minutes of negotiations with Blackwell, he surrendered without further incident. During the search, investigators located and seized several items believed to be related to the Dollar General armed robbery. A firearm was also located and seized. Blackwell was detained and brought to the Sheriff’s Office for an interview. After the interview, he was arrested and charged for the above incident.
Spivey and Blackwell were both processed at the Columbus County Law Enforcement Center.
Spivey, 23, of 2964 Dock Road, Whiteville, was arrested and charged with one felony count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, two felony counts of kidnapping and one felony count of safecracking. He was placed into the Columbus County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond.
Also arrested was Blackwell, 28, of 1756 Lebanon Church Road, Clarendon. He was charged with one felony count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, two felony counts of kidnapping and one felony count of safecracking. He was placed into the Columbus County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond.
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