OXFORD, N.C. — A jury recommended Wednesday a life sentence for a Texas man found guilty of the December 2014 murders of a North Carolina couple.
Eric Campbell, of Alvin, Texas, was found guilty in August for robbing and murdering Jerome Faulkner, 73, and Dora Faulkner, 62, of Granville County, North Carolina, on Dec. 31, 2014. The Faulkner’s home was then set on fire and the couple’s Chevrolet Silverado was stolen.
Campbell and his father, Edward Campbell, were arrested the following day in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, following a shootout with West Virginia State Police. Edward Campbell killed himself two months later at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The defense for Eric Campbell had argued he had suffered years of physical and emotional abuse by his father, which left him unable to prevent his involvement in what happened.
Campbell was sentenced to life for the murders. According to WRAL-TV, he was also sentenced to 64 to 89 months in prison for burglary, 64 to 89 months for robbery, 13 to 25 months for arson and two sentences of six to 17 months for animal cruelty.