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Juli Denning, Contributing Writer

February 19, 2004

Within two days of the fatal
shooting of Investigator Mark
Reid Tucker, Wake County
authorities arrested an Apex
teen with first-degree murder.
Sheriff Donnie Harrison made
the announcement at a press
conference early Saturday
morning.

The arrests reportedly
stemmed from a hotline tip.
Harrison said while deputies
were waiting to get paperwork
together for Matthew Charles
Grant’s arrest, he was taken in
by police for committing traffic
violations around 1 a.m. on
Saturday.

Sheriff Harrison said Grant,
was who was on felony proba-
tion for larceny, confessed to
killing Tucker. The 12-gauge
shotgun that was used has been
recovered.

Justin Daniel Franke, 18, and
Lawson Alan Rankin III, 18,
both of Cary, were charged with
accessory after the fact. They
were arrested about 7 a.m.
Saturday. Sheriff’s officials said
all three suspects are friends and
even though Franke and Rankin
were not on the scene of the
shooting, they allegedly tried to
help Grant provide an alibi and
hide the murder weapon.

Tucker, 49, was found dead
beside his running, unmarked
Ford Crown Victoria in a field
across the street from his home
in the Oak Chase neighborhood
last Thursday afternoon. He had
been shot in the face, his gun
still in his holster.

Sheriff Harrison said Grant
was in the field taking target
practice when Tucker’s car
approached. He said Grant real-
ized it was an officer and pan-
icked because he was on proba-
tion then and shot Tucker in the
face.

“Mr. Tucker pulled up on him
and he just panicked,” Sheriff
Harrison said.

A motorist saw Tucker’s body
in the field and went to a nearby
residence to call police, who
arrived at the scene within a
matter of minutes.

The three 18-year-old men
charged in connection with
Tucker’s death faced Wake
District Court Judge Robert
Rader during their first court
appearance on Monday at 2
p.m.

Since Grant turned 18 in July,
he has been charged with at least
eight misdemeanors and nine
felonies but it was in this court-
room that he faced the most
serious charge of all — first
degree murder.

“The first of which is murder
in the first degree, it carries a
maximum sentence of death,”
said Judge Rader.

However, the DA has not yet
decided whether to seek the
death penalty.


Judge Rader assigned Barry T.
Winston of Chapel Hill to repre-
sent Grant while Keith 0.
Gregory of Raleigh will repre-
sent Franke. Rankin ‘s family
hired Jack O’Hale of Smithfield
to represent him.

All three will be back in court
March 8.

In a press conference held late
Saturday afternoon, Patricia,
Tucker’s wife of 26 years, said
she had no animosity toward the
three teenagers charged and
offered sympathies to their families
. i
“If I could wipe that slate clean for all of them I
would, but that would wipe the
slate clean for all of us and that’s
just not going to happen,” she
said.

Tucker had worked with the
sheriff’s department from 1976
to 1999, when he was appointed
to the U.S. Marshal’s Office for
the eastern district of North
Carolina. He returned to the
WCSO in 2002.

Mrs. Tucker said she knew the
risks of being married to a law
enforcement officer but recalled
her husband saying, “This is the
job that I love. It’s the only job
that I want to do.”

Tucker is the fourth Wake
County deputy to die on duty in
71 years.

Two deputies, Frank James
and Phil Owens died in car acci-
dents last September and
October, respectively.


 

February 19, 2004

 

Mark Reid Tucker wasn’t an
officer for the Apex Police
Department.

But when the Wake County
sheriff’s deputy was found
shot to death in a field off
Holly Springs Road and
Winding Oak Way near Apex
own.

Whenever a law enforce-
ment officer falls, no matter
the uniform, the death seems
to touch all those who wear a
badge.

Apex Police Chief Bob
Boone, who has been in law

enforcement for 32 years said he
never gets used to dealing with
tragedy.

“The death of a law enforce-
ment officer always hits home a
little harder,” said Boone. “And
it doesn’t get any easier over the
years."

Boone said word traveled
quickly throughout the station
of the incident last week when
the call came in.

“We learned out about it
immediately because we dis-
patched EMS,” he said.

Authorities were on the scene
in moments but with little to no
leads to go on. Investigators
struggled to piece together the
last hours of Tucker’s life pre-
pared for what could have been
a difficult case to solve. But that
all changed last weekend.

“We got a tip Friday night
because of all the hard work of
so many people and because of
the great media coverage,” said
Phyllis Stephens, public infor-
mation director for the Wake
County Sheriff’s office.

“When we did have that tip
come in we worked off that
information and we were able to
apprehend him.”

Following information provid-
ed by the tip, investigators
staked out the home of Matthew
Grant, 18, of Apex, who was
arrested on a traffic violation
and eventually confessed to
shooting Tucker.

Although a suspect has been
charged with the crime and the
case has been solved, it’s going
to take a lot longer for family,
friends, and Tucker’s on the job
comrades to heal this kind of
wound.

“It’s very heart wrenching to
have one of your own to be mur-
dered like this,” said Stephens.

 

Water Plant Will Temporarily Change Method of Disinfection During March


Beginning March 1, 2004 the Apex/Cary Water Plant will implement the annual switch from chloramine disinfection to free chlorine. This change in disinfection will last until the end of March and is being coordinated with an identical switch by the Town of Cary and the City of Raleigh . Periodic alternate disinfection is mandated by State and Federal regulatory agencies.

During the March switch in disinfection, the water will continue to be completely safe to drink but consumers may notice more chlorine taste and odor.

SPECIAL ALERT !!!

Kidney dialysis users should be aware that the water may contain chloramine, chlorine or a mixture during March. During the month of April, the water plant will return to the use of chloramine disinfection. Mixtures of chlorine and chloramine may be present during the early days of April.

Aquarium owners should use neutralizers that work on chlorine as well as chloramine during this time period. Please contact your local aquarium supply dealer if in doubt.

ANNUAL FLUSHING

Annual water distribution system flushing will be coordinated with the disinfection switch. Apex Public Works and Utilities Department employees will be in Apex neighborhoods from March 3rd through April 1st opening hydrants in a planned sequential order to flush the water system. Crews may perform some of the work at night to avoid causing inconvenience to residents. During or just after the time of this flushing operation, residents are urged to check their water before washing white clothes. If the water appears discolored, try flushing household faucets for a few minutes to clear household lines. If the water fails to clear, call the Apex Public Works and Utilities Department at 249-3427 for assistance.
 

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