Bobby Lee English pleads guilty to second-degree murder

MORGANTON, N.C. — Bobby Lee English pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and armed robbery in the 2004 killing of Henry Red Gibson.

Burke County Superior Court Judge Richard Boner sentenced English to no less than 18.5 years to nearly 34 years in prison for the offenses. English will be credited with time served since his arrest in February 2004.

English reached a plea agreement with the Burke County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for a guilty plea to second-degree murder and armed robbery, several other charges were dropped.

This was English’s second trial. He was convicted of first-degree murder at his first trial in 2007.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in 2008 when it found the trial court improperly deprived English of his right to make a final closing argument to the jury.

Before the sentencing, Gibson’s daughter, Betty Reid, told English, “Please, god, I hope you at least get the maximum penalty.”

Reid said she did not think his sentence was sufficient, but was glad English and two others convicted for Gibson’s death would be in prison.

Leiah Suzanne Helton and Crystal Danell Perryman, both of Conover, pleaded guilty to murder and are serving terms in prison. Helton is serving life without parole, and Perryman, English’s half-sister, is serving a 13 to 16 year sentence.

The three were involved in a plan to rob Gibson to buy crack cocaine. The group took around $4,800 from Gibson.

Helton had previously said English remained in Gibson’s home after she and Perryman exited.

But English and Perryman maintain that Helton was the last person to leave Gibson’s home.

Gibson died from a “crushed chest injury,” said assistant district attorney Frank Webster.

WSOC