State v. Ezzell

Published opinion On 7 March 2005, James Ezzell (""defendant"") was indicted for murder, and on 16 November 2005, the jury found defendant guilty of second-degree murder. The trial court sentenced defendant to a minimum of 125 months imprisonment with a corresponding maximum of 158 months. The court also ordered defendant to pay restitution in the amount of $14,850.03. Defendant gave timely notice of appeal. On 2 October 2004, defendant invited several friends and family members to go four-wheeling with him on a trail in Wilson County, North Carolina. Among the people defendant invited was Jeff Winstead (""Winstead""), who, without defendant's prior approval, invited Mark Carlini (""Carlini"") and Carlini's wife, Amy. The group gathered at a cabin being rented by defendant, andCarlini and his wife were introduced to defendant. The group then rode their four-wheelers on the trails, stopping occasionally to eat and drink beer.