Candice Cockerham Murder: Where is Richard Ellerbee Now?

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Candice Cockerham, who was 17 years old when she was brutally murdered in Jonesville, North Carolina, in November 2002, is the focus of the documentary titled “Evil Lives Here: The Monster Inside Him,” which aired on Investigation Discovery. The fact that abusers are able to have their way and that victims of domestic violence are put in a dangerous position as a result of the country’s legal and police system is demonstrated by this episode. It was necessary for the teenage girl to lose her life in order to clear the way for her mother to take legal action against the state legislature and prosecute the city police for their carelessness. If you want further information, including the identification of the person who committed the crime, we’ve got you covered. Then why don’t we find out, shall we?

Candice Cockerham Murder

How Did Candice Cockerham Die?

Candice Willina Cockerham was brought into the world on August 18, 1985, in Jonesville, which is located inside Yadkin County in the state of North Carolina. Her parents are Vernetta Cockerham and Kevin Baker. Following the conclusion of her parents’ divorce when she was six years old, she relocated with her mother from Paterson, New Jersey, to their previous home in Jonesville. Even though she was one of just a few African-American students at Starmount High School in rural North Carolina, Candice was a friendly and outgoing adolescent who had no trouble striking up conversations with new people and quickly making new acquaintances. The 17-year-old girl, who was in her final year at Starmount High School, expressed interest in volunteering for military service and even scheduled a meeting with a recruiter from the army.

Her mother had brought her to the library on November 19, 2002, so that she might prepare for an impending interview by reading some books and taking some notes. On the other hand, her body was discovered by the police in the downstairs bedroom of the apartment in central Jonesville that she shared with her mother and two stepbrothers on the day in question.

Heavy duct tape was found covering Candice’s lips and nose, and an electrical cord that had been strengthened with another layer of duct tape was found bound across her neck. She had been violently beaten and choked, and her hands and feet had been tied. Her jeans had been dragged down, and she had both hands and feet tied. According to the autopsy report, she died of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma, which both contributed to her death.

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Who Killed Candice Cockerham?

Candice’s stepfather, a carpenter by the name of Richard Ellerbee, who had previously been the lover of Kevin’s sister in Paterson, was the person the police already knew to be the murderer, thus they did not have to conduct a search for him. Vernetta and Richard began dating a few years after Richard moved to Jonesville, which occurred a few years after Vernetta and Candice relocated to Jonesville. However, Vernetta quickly learned that Richard had rage issues and that he had a history of abusing and beating her. Rashieq and Dominiq are the names of her two boys with her ex-husband, Richard. However, following the difficult labor and delivery of Candice, it was stated that Vernetta decided she did not want any more children.

Vernetta had taken legal action against Richard on multiple occasions due to his pattern of physically abusing her, but Richard was always given a pass. She had also obtained a restraining order against him after he followed her around the city and showed up at her place of employment in an attempt to intimidate her. However, Richard was unable to be stopped even after the restraining order was issued because he continued to harass Vernetta. She said that Richard had broken into her house and left her frightening messages, as well as often called her to harass and threaten her.

According to Vernetta, Richard even dug graves across the street from her house, indicating that it was for her and her children. Richard did this while he was still married to Vernetta. Even though she filed multiple complaints with the authorities, Richard was never held in custody for an extended period of time and was always released on bail. Vernetta, on the other hand, was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief on November 12, 2002, when he learned that he would be detained as a result of multiple accusations lodged against his name. She was shocked to find out that Candice had already started walking back toward the house when she went back to the library to pick up her daughter.

When Vernetta arrived at the residence, she was shocked to see that the door had been left slightly ajar, and her estranged husband’s keys were hanging from the lock. Richard lunged at her while she was rushing toward the door, brandishing a knife in his hand. Before she was ultimately able to get away from Richard and go towards the Jonesville police station next to her house, he assaulted her by punching, cutting, and strangling her. Vernetta was given prompt medical attention by the officers after collapsing in front of the entryway, while others were dispatched to her residence to provide further assistance. Candice Cockerham’s dead body was found, but Richard was nowhere to be found.

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Is Richard Ellerbee Alive?

Richard Ellerbee was last seen by a neighbor walking down the street while carrying a paper bag, according to the reports filed with the police. Before driving his automobile towards New Jersey from farther north, Richard had stopped at a convenience store. On November 22, 2002, he was observed purchasing a gas can that was empty from a Kmart shop and then filling it up at a gas station that was close.

Richard then reportedly went to a gazebo in Eastside Park in Paterson, where he drenched himself with the can and set himself on fire, as claimed by the authorities. Two young males were witnesses to the incident, and they informed the authorities of what they saw. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a body that was ablaze and later determined to be that of Richard, who was in his mid-40s at the time of his death.