NC man charged with killing his mom, niece, stepfather gets no bond, could face death penalty
PINEBLUFF, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man in North Carolina who was charged this week with killing three family members made his first court appearance on Friday.
On Wednesday, the Moore County Sheriff's Office charged 40-year-old Demetrius Aggelis with killing his 63-year-old mother, Christina Aggelis, his 20-year-old niece Trinity Thomas, and his 63-year-old stepfather, Bobby Farris.
The family members were found dead when the sheriff's department responded to a house on Ryder Cup Boulevard, in the Pinebluff community, to conduct a welfare check.
Aggelis is facing three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree burglary. Investigators said they believe all three victims suffered both gunshot and stab wounds.
During his Friday court appearance, Aggelis received no bond and will remain in the Moore County Detention Center.
- He was assigned a provisional court- appointed attorney. If the case moves forward as a capital murder case, he will receive a capital attorney.
- He could face the death penalty or life without parole for each of the three first-degree murder charges.
- He still faces a charge related to being a registered sex offender.
Aggelis could face the death penalty if convicted.
Triple murder investigation
A 911 call, private surveillance video, Flock cameras and story inconsistencies: here's how the sheriff's office said events unfolded and led to Demetrius Aggelis' arrest.
The 911 call
According to newly released 911 audio, Demetrius Aggelis himself called authorities after arriving at the home just before 8 a.m. to pick up his stepfather for a flight.
"I came here to pick up my stepdad to take him to the airport. No one came out, so I went in, and I tried waking him, and no one is waking up, and I think there's blood," Aggelis told the dispatcher.
When the dispatcher asked him to check on his family, Aggelis said he could not bring himself to go in and look.
The sheriff's office said there were inconsistencies in Aggelis' story. He first claimed he was at his home several miles away at the time.
Private video and a Flock camera
Privately obtained video evidence reportedly shows an armed person entering the home shortly after 3:30 a.m. on the morning of the killings, the sheriff's office confirms.
Additionally, investigators said a Flock Safety camera less than a mile from the crime scene recorded Aggelis' vehicle leaving the area minutes before and after the attack.
"It gives us an opportunity to go back and review what has been going on in that area," said Dr. Roy Taylor, a police procedure expert.
Taylor said new technologies are playing a pivotal role in criminal investigations. "It provided them with a vehicle description, color, and license plate number. All that information was captured and became an investigative lead for the police officers."
Detectives recovered weapons and other evidence believed to have been used in the attack.
ABC11 has confirmed that Aggelis previously served in the U.S. Army, according to military officials. He worked as a horizontal construction engineer and was discharged in November 2012 at the rank of private. Army records indicate he served tours in Iraq in 2007 and 2008
Court documents show that Aggelis has a criminal history and is a registered sex offender. He served six months in jail for a crime that required him to register as a sex offender while he was enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was discharged from the military the year after he served his time.
