A 22-year-old Marine from Winder has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed a disabled North Carolina woman who was the mother of another Marine. The arrest came hours after Barrow County Sheriff’s deputies recovered at a local address the vehicle that allegedly struck the woman.
Barrow County Sheriff’s Major Murray Kogod said the vehicle was recovered from the residence of the Marine’s father.
Barrow deputies at 6:07 a.m. on Dec. 8 went to 228 Pleasant Hill Church Road to look for a black or dark Chevrolet truck with front-end damage, according to a sheriff’s office incident report.
Deputies located a black, 1999 Chevrolet Silverado truck backed under a carport. Before towing the truck to a secure impound lot, the tow truck driver “had to secure the hood so it would not fly up while in transport,” the report states.
Later that day, the Jacksonville Police Department announced the arrest of Cpl. Joseph William Kirkland Jr. who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony hit and run, careless and reckless driving, having no insurance, and speeding. He was booked into the Onslow County Jail under a $155,000 secured bond.
The arrest came six days after a Jacksonville police officer on routine patrol at 2:55 a.m. Dec. 2 discovered the body of a woman lying in a highway. The woman was identified as Barbara Jean Elwell, 41, of Jacksonville. Police apparently found near her body a gold Chevrolet emblem from the front grill of the vehicle believed to have struck her.
When information from the public led to Kirkland, the Jacksonville police contacted the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in locating the truck.
Sgt. Chuck James of the Jacksonville (N.C.) Police Department in an interview last week said the victim was disabled and that she was the mother of a U.S. Marine. She was last seen near a motel and was on foot at the time of the accident.
Kirkland is a landing support specialist from Landing Support Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group that is based at Camp Lejeune. The incident happened just a month after the young Marine was featured prominently in a U.S. Department of Defense article about a patch worn on his company’s uniforms.
I'm also not quite sure why her past history of arrests (if true) are so important other than maybe you feel the need to beat up a dead woman to right the hit and run, speeding, reckless driving, and no insurance. Nor his family's history for that matter(at 22 he made his own decisions that night, not his family).
I think everyone would love to hear his side of the story. Its not that they don't have the guts....He hasn't spoken. As I said before, I'm sure it was an accident, but he left the scene without rendering help and 6 days to turn himself in(if that's what happened).
Yea, and I'd call our attorney on the way.
Who are you referring to with "everybody wants to trash talk Kirkland"? Where did you see this "trash talk"? 'Cause I don't see any. If you are referring to the article, well, it's a NEWS article....it's based on verified factual information.
If you want a good example of "trash talking", read your own blog! When was the last time you were in Barrow County? Don't tell me, let me guess....NEVER.
Jeez, take a chill pill and let the justice system do it's work! (And don't shoot the messenger in the meantime.)
1)Leaving the scene of an accident
2)Driving two state over to hide his car
3)Waiting until he really had no choice to turn himself in
4)Don't forget a women DIED!
And I think the family should be charged as well. When he showed up with a damaged car -- they should have call the sheriffs office but no -- they waited until the car was found.