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9 Investigates: Son of Lake Wylie gang murder victims seeks solutions for gang problem

By Blake Hanson
By Blake Hanson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No reasonable person would blame Daniel London if he stayed silent.

His life changed forever because of a gang who killed his parents in late 2014 to keep them quiet.

The murder of Doug and Debbie London prevented their testimony about the robbery of their south Charlotte mattress store.

"I pretty much lost every resemblance I had of my past life," London told Channel 9 in his first television interview since the event.

London is talking now because he wants to find solutions for the gang problem in Charlotte.

"As awful as the event was, it allowed me to find strength I never knew I had," London said.

The case

The Londons' murder sent shock waves through the criminal justice system that still ripple today.

Malcolm Hartley walked up to the front door of the couple's Lake Wylie home on Oct. 23. When Debbie London answered the door, he shot and killed her. He then shot and killed Doug London, the sole witness in the gang's 2014 robbery of the Londons' mattress store.

Daniel London was home at the time.

"For the longest time, I was in shock, you know," he said. "Once you get over the shock, then you kind of come back to reality a bit. Honestly, I tried to think about it as least as I possibly could."

Federal investigators said Jamell Cureton plotted the attack on the Londons from his jail cell. A grand jury later indicted Cureton, Hartley and 10 other United Blood Nation gang members and associates in connection with the attack.

U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn sentenced Cureton and Hartley to life in prison on April 25. Both took plea deals which took the death penalty off the table.

"I am content with the end result," London said.

(WATCH: Blake Hanson interviews Daniel London)

The journey forward

The experiences that altered Daniel London's life forever pushed him to take a hard look at what society can do to deal with gang violence.

"I think we need to start asking the question, how can we prevent gang members from joining gangs in the first place,?" London said. "What resources do we need to point people in the right direction where they don't want to consider their lifestyle?"

London said that shortly after the murder, he became friends with a former gang member. He's contacted additional current and former gang members to find out what solutions they believe will fix the problem.

They told him about the need for more school funding, love and support in the home and a strong positive leader.

“I don't think I'm the best one to offer this advice because I don't live in these communities," London said. "With the tremendous growth Charlotte has had this last 10, 20 years, once you become a big city, you also have to deal with issues you might not really have had to address before."

That experience might one day propel London into politics.

"To say it's something I don't think about sometimes would be untrue," London said.

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