Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man Who Clashed With Judge Over Voodoo Beads Now Charged With Murder
Fayetteville Observer ^ | Sat Sep 26, 2015 | Paul Woolverton

Posted on 09/27/2015 10:45:35 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Update: Abu-Bakr Abdur Rahman was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. today in Lumberton, the Fayetteville Police Department reported. He is being held without bail in the Cumberland County Detention Center. ---

A man detained by a Cumberland County judge this summer for refusing to cover or remove Voodoo beads he wore in court is wanted for murder by the Fayetteville Police Department.

Abu-Bakr Abdur Rahman, 33, was charged Friday with first-degree murder and possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine. He is accused of fatally shooting 36-year-old Desmond Deron Smith on Sunday during a deal to sell 25 grams of powder cocaine to him, according to court documents.

Smith's unconscious body was found by police near woods in the area of Enterprise Avenue off Owen Drive, a police news release said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding Rahman, whose last known address was on the 100 block of Bremer Street.

In July, Rahman was handcuffed and locked in a courtroom prisoners box for several hours. District Court Judge Talmage Baggett sent Rahman there because Rahman refused Baggett's orders to either remove several long, beaded necklaces he was wearing or conceal them under his shirt.

Rahman said he wore the necklaces as part of his practice of the Voodoo faith. He said Baggett violated his First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Rahman's court dates over the summer stemmed from a misdemeanor charge of communicating threats and a felony charge of obtaining property by false pretenses. Both charges are still pending.

The state court system's online calendar says Rahman is also charged with misdemeanor sexual battery. He also has traffic offenses pending in Robeson and Wake counties.

Rahman served nearly seven years in prison on drug-trafficking charges.

In 2003 he was charged in Robeson County with first-degree murder. The Robeson County district attorney dismissed the murder charge because, he said in an interview this summer, he felt he he did not have enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Smith's body was discovered after someone called the police to report that they heard gunfire on the 3000 block of Enterprise Avenue, according to the police release. Smith had lived nearby on the 2900 block of Catalina Road, police said.

Anyone with information about the homicide or the whereabouts of Rahman is asked to contact Detective J. Littlejohn with the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-818-3468. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477). Crimestoppers information can be submitted at fay-nccrimestoppers.org and through text-a-tip on a mobile device by sending a message to 274637 and typing "4Tip" in the text box followed by the message.

Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at woolvertonp@fayobserver.com, in Raleigh at 919-828-7641 or in Fayetteville at 910-486-3512.


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: abubakrabdurrahman; cumberlandcounty; desmondderonsmith; fayetteville; robesoncounty

1 posted on 09/27/2015 10:45:35 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Ecce Homo

2 posted on 09/27/2015 10:47:50 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: martin_fierro

This dude looks empty-eyed. Note to self: avoid ferals...especially those empty-eyed.


3 posted on 09/27/2015 10:53:23 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

A voodooist with an Islamic name - would he be a Musdoo? Vooslim?


4 posted on 09/27/2015 11:00:06 AM PDT by GnuThere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Based on the wanted man’s name, I wonder if someone were to point out the case of this fellow at the local mosque that the police might find it gets closed for them and they have new case of a headless voodoo practitioner.


5 posted on 09/27/2015 11:06:33 AM PDT by Flying Circus (God save us!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flying Circus

I was wondering about that.


6 posted on 09/27/2015 11:12:50 AM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: GnuThere

That’s the burning question. Still, he’s another of the Kenyan’s relatives.


7 posted on 09/27/2015 1:32:45 PM PDT by bgill ( CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson