Two North Carolina men accused of robbing and killing a popular sandwich shop owner in Charlotte have been linked to a separate murder investigation.
Terry Connor Jr. and Steven Staples have both been charged with murder in the killing of Scott Brooks, age 61.
The defendants, estimated to be 35 and 37 years old, appeared in court this week for their trial, where the full range of charges against them were revealed.
On December 19, 2019, Brooks was on his way to Brooks Sandwich House, the business he co-owned, when two guys in hooded sweatshirts approached him with pistols drawn. The men stole approximately $100 from his wallet, and surveillance tape showed him conversing with the two suspects, according to local Fox affiliate WGHP.
Brooks pulled out his own handgun and opened fire on the men, who returned fire and killed him, according to investigators. The accused are thought to have targeted the sandwich store because it only accepted cash.
Connor and Staples are said to have been the two men. And as they appeared in court this week, prosecutors attempted to link them to a double murder that occurred just weeks after Brooks’ death.
On Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, Siojvon Joseph and Asa Shannon, both 35, were discovered dead from gunshot wounds in a vehicle down an embankment near Charlotte. Staples and Connor’s brother, Everette Connor, are thought to have killed them.
Prosecutors brought up this event throughout the trial this week in an attempt to highlight a spate of violence committed by Staples and the Connor siblings.
According to local ABC station WSOC, police officials examined a property near the location of Joseph and Shannon’s killings and discovered it ransacked, with hidden telephones, guns, and food strewn throughout, evidence that authorities have attempted to exploit to tie the men to both crimes.
Both Terry Connor and Staples have pled not guilty to Brooks’ murder.
Prosecutors are scheduled to conclude their case next week.
The case surrounding the killings of Joseph and Shannon is still ongoing.
Brooks is recalled in his obituary for making friends effortlessly.
“Many of the friends he made were customers he had met along the way at Brooks’ Sandwich House which he co-owns with his brother Dave, established by his father CT in 1973,” according to the funeral announcement. “Our family will cherish the stories and memories often conveyed in conversation with Scott about the diverse people he encountered at the shop.”
