Jose Carlos Torres, 21, Reginald Keith Watson, 21, and Antonio McMillan, 19, are expected to have a rule 24 hearing on March 15 in Alamance County Superior Court. The three were charged Dec. 8 with first-degree murder and armed robbery for their alleged role in the shooting death of James “Kyle” Roland who was found dead outside a house on N.C. 119 on Dec. 7. The shooting took place during an alleged drug sale, but robbery might not have been the motive for the killing, according to search warrants. Roland, who was allegedly shot multiple times in the back, might have been “killed as part of a gang initiation,” according to warrants. The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office obtained 14 search warrants from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20 to gather evidence in the case. In addition to the crime scene at 1949 N.C. 119 South in Mebane, investigators received warrants to search two cars multiple times, cell phones, Facebook accounts, Watson’s home as well as the persons of all three charged in order to collect DNA and fingerprints. The Sheriff’s Office was called at about 10:58 p.m. Dec. 7 to 1949 N.C. 119 South. The caller, a friend of Roland’s, said he was at work and received a call from Roland’s girlfriend. She told the caller that she went to his house to look for Roland and found the caller’s house in disarray. When the caller got there, he found that his house had been robbed and Roland was dead in the yard with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the warrants. Authorities interviewed a man who saw Roland that evening. He told investigators that Roland received a phone call at about 8:30 p.m. Roland was overheard telling the caller that he “trusted him,” according to warrants. It was during interviews that detectives learned that the person who called Roland was allegedly Torres. Deputies stopped Torres in a 1994 Chevrolet Camaro on Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road on Dec. 8. Torres was driving the car, which was registered to his girlfriend. She was in the passenger seat. Investigators seized cellphones from both Torres and his girlfriend. Search warrants were obtained to search the phones and the car. It was during an interview with Torres that authorities allegedly learned details about the shooting. On that night, Torres allegedly brought Watson, who uses the nickname “Buddy,” and McMillan to Roland to buy drugs, according to warrants. “Mr. Torres advised that when Mr. Roland started to weigh the purchase of marijuana, Watson and McMillan both pulled handguns and told Roland they were taking all the marijuana,” warrants state. “Mr. Torres advised that Roland then produced his handgun and pointed it at Mr. Watson and Mr. McMillan.” Moments later, Roland allegedly dropped his weapon. “He tells them to take all the marijuana,” the warrant states. “As Mr. Roland turns to walk down the hall, Mr. McMillan shoots Mr. Roland in the back.” Records compiled by the Gang Task Force allege that Watson is a member of a gang called “Boys in Grey” or BIG that was founded by a man who allegedly identifies himself as “HerbGotti.” The Task Force interviewed Watson at Southern Alamance High School in November 2009. Watson allegedly told authorities at the time that he was a member of BIG and “got brought in to the gang in the spring of 2008 at the school parking lot at Southern High School,” warrants state. “He stated that he took five hits to the chest by one of the OG’s of the gang.” During that interview, Watson allegedly said there were about 20 members of the gang that went to Southern Alamance High. “Watson stated that he knew gang signs,” warrants state. He allegedly showed the Task Force how to make a “four-pointed sign with his hands.” Authorities allege that McMillan also was in Boys in Grey. Cellphone records indicate that Watson received a call before the shooting from someone named “Gotti” on his cellphone contact list. Watson also allegedly had contact with “Gotti” immediately after the shooting. “It is evident that this crime has a connection to gang activity,” warrants state. McMillan was allegedly with “Gotti” when he was arrested and charged with Roland’s murder. During that arrest, “Gotti” allegedly told officers to tell McMillan “four, four, four” and was flashing gang signs at McMillan, warrants state. “The manner in which Mr. Roland was killed also indicates that he may have been killed as part of a gang initiation,” warrants state. “According to Mr. Torres, Mr. Roland did not offer any resistance to the robbery and was going to simply let the defendants leave with the drugs and Mr. McMillan shot him in the back.”
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