Father and Son Plead Guilty to Killing of North Carolina Grandmother

Investigators determined that both suspects were responsible for killing the 80-year-old woman, taking her vehicle, and leaving her body at the scene, where she was ultimately found by family members.

Haika Mrema

Published: 4/28/2026, 11:52:53 PM EDT

Father and Son Plead Guilty to Killing of North Carolina Grandmother — A gavel sits on a desk before the a meeting of the House Justice and Human Rights Committee in Ottawa on Feb. 13, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

A father and son have pleaded guilty to murder charges in the 2022 killing of 80-year-old Nancy “Nan” Horton in Person County, North Carolina, bringing a years-long case to a close in the Superior Court.

Roger Wilkerson entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI).

Wilkerson also admitted to additional related offenses and received an added minimum sentence of 10 years and eight months. His son, Troy Wilkerson, who was 16 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and multiple related charges. He was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison and will be eligible for parole.

“The SBI's Capital District investigated the case at the request of Person County Sheriff's Office,” the statement read. “We are extremely grateful for the outstanding work of all involved that led to today's guilty plea.”

Authorities said the case stemmed from the September 2022 killing of Horton, whose death prompted a homicide investigation involving both the Person County Sheriff’s Office and the SBI. Investigators later determined the suspects were responsible for killing the elderly woman, taking her vehicle, and leaving her body at the scene, where she was ultimately found by family members, according to local outlet WRAL.

Details released at the time of the arrests show law enforcement executed search warrants on Sept. 21, 2022, at the residence of Roger Letroy Wilkerson. According to a media release from the Person County Sheriff’s Office, evidence connected to Horton’s killing was recovered during the search, leading to a murder charge against Wilkerson.

He was already facing multiple charges, including breaking and entering motor vehicles, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, drug-related offenses, and resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer.

The sheriff’s office said a juvenile suspect, later identified as his son, was also charged through juvenile petitions in connection with both the homicide and related property crimes. Roger Wilkerson was held without bond on the murder charge and under a combined $500,000 bond for the additional offenses, while the juvenile was placed in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Horton, a lifelong resident of Person County, was described in her obituary as a community member who operated the Roseville Grocery store with her late husband for more than three decades. She was also a member of New Life Independent Baptist Church and was survived by her children, grandchildren, and extended family.