Man indicted in stabbing of woman, 64

By Staff (89619)

Thursday, December 21, 2006
© Copyright 2013 Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - A Duluth man was indicted on three murder charges Wednesday in the Sept. 11 slaying of his female neighbor.

Johnny Alvenio Culpepper, then 33, is charged with murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft by taking and two counts of possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, according to the indictment.

Culpepper is believed to have used a knife to fatally stab his neighbor, 64-year-old Jenny Rider Neville, stolen her 2003 Toyota Corolla and ATM card and fled the state.

Police in Pennsylvania received a tip from the FBI that Culpepper was staying with his brother in Easton, Pa.

While police were watching the house, he was arrested after he left his brother's residence as a passenger in another person's car.

Culpepper was arrested and taken without incident and later extradited back to Gwinnett County.

He is currently being held in the Gwinnett County Detention Center without bond.

According to previous reports, Culpepper left a hand-written note on his bed apologizing for the stabbing. In the note, he wrote "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt anybody. The drugs got the best of me," according to testimony given by a detective in a probable cause hearing in October.

Culpepper also asked in the note to "please tell my kids about the good things I've done."

Gwinnett County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Dawn Taylor said a murder conviction is automatic life in prison.

Since there was only one victim, Culpepper can only receive one life sentence, even though he is charged with three murder counts.

"One dead body, one life sentence," Taylor said.

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