Charlotte Mecklenburg Police announced Sunday that they had charged J’wuan Horton actually Juwan Horton AKA Juwan Marquies Horton and "J-Boosie" in the robbery and shooting death of Karen Baker.
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According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Karen Baker was killed in a random robbery on July 13 in the University City area of Charlotte. Her family said she was getting money from an ATM when it happened.
Now 3 months later CMPD says they have their man.
But as expected the level of incompetency leading up to the death of Karen Baker is stunning.
On the morning of July 13, 2022 when Karen Baker was shot to death, Horton had been out of prison just four months. He had been released on February 25th after serving just 3 years for a string of armed robberies and felony breaking and entering that occured in February of 2018.
Despite the violent nature of his crimes the charges were consolidated and he was given only a three year and 8 month minimum sentence for the crimes that should have warranted a term of 20+ years.
On the Morning of July 13 bank surveillance cameras caught Horton on video as well as his getaway car. He remained at large in the weeks following the murder as CMPD and Baker's family pleaded for information.
Nearly 7 weeks later North Carolina Department of Community Corrections officers known to most offenders as simply their "PO" attempted to speak with Mr. Horton.
Horton had been non-compliant with the terms of his release since the first day of his parole.
When NC Parole Officers tried to approach Horton, he apparently thought he was being arrested for the murder of Baker and other crimes and refused to stop and the speak with the parole officers, leading them on a brief and unsuccessful car chase.
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His "PO" charged him with Flee and Elude with a Motor Vehicle, No Drivers License, Reckless and Wanton Disregard, Speeding and Violating the Terms of his Parole. Horton was placed in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office and was booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail. A week later a judge ordered Horton's release and he was back out on the streets of Charlotte.
Horton walked out of the Mecklenburg County Jail at 2 am on the morning of September 7th, 2022, once again free to continue his life of violent crime.
Sources tell CP that Horton was on CMPD's radar but that communication between the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Post Release Supervision and Parole officers is non-existent and that gap may be the reason Horton's arrest was never brought to the attention of CMPD Detectives.
While this may explain why they had the killer in custody and turned him loose after one week it doesn't explain why Horton wasn't picked up right away or why he was given parole in the first place.
But let's repeat this: they had Karen Baker's killer in custody and a liberal judge turned him loose.
Cedar Posts' Take: The real failure is an entire system that operates in favor of violent offenders and no longer protects the public, both within the courts and with those who are supposed to protect the community post release.
Horton was supposed to be on "parole with close supervision". Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The left hand (THE PO) had not a clue what the right hand (CMPD) was doing. Where was the breakdown?
Karen Baker's death is due to woeful negligence of the Mecklenburg County DA, North Carolina Courts, Parole Officers and a system that is broken beyond comprehension.
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