Below you will find information about the latest pleas, trials, and important developments in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties. As an office, we are bound by the Rules of Professional Conduct for all North Carolina attorneys, and special rules for prosecutors. Therefore, we often only comment on cases after final disposition.
For all media inquiries and requests, for all three counties, please contact Nathan Key by phone: 828-695-6193 or email: Nathan.D.Key@nccourts.org.
Jonathan Leslie Blackburn, 59, of Conover, was sentenced to serve 18 to 23 years in prison following his conviction for attempted first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping during Catawba County Superior Court on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The sentence was imposed … Read More
A Catawba County jury needed about an hour of deliberation to find a Sparta man guilty of breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The Honorable Nathaniel J. … Read More
Members of the Catawba County District Attorney’s Office are shown with 40 cases of water collected by the staff as a service project. The cases of water were given to Safe Harbor of North Carolina, a Christ-centered community for women … Read More
Tyon Shamar Turner, 23, of Long View, was given an active prison sentence of 10 to 13 years following his conviction for multiple firearms offenses during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The Honorable Clifton H. Smith, … Read More
Amy Lynn Gonzalez, 40, of Conover, has been sentenced to serve 39 to 50 years in prison following her conviction on multiple child abuse offenses involving three young children. The sentence was imposed by Superior Court Judge Sherri W. Elliott … Read More
William Eric Clark, 43, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve six to nine years in prison following his conviction for habitual larceny and tampering with an anti-shoplifting device along with admission of habitual felon status during Catawba County Superior Court … Read More
A Hickory man will spend 15 to 18 years in prison following his conviction for two counts of trafficking by possession and another count of attempted trafficking by possession during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, June 8, 2026. The … Read More
Allyson Kerri Peace, 24, of Vale, was sentenced to serve seven to 10 years in prison following her conviction for trafficking fentanyl by possession and conspiracy to traffick fentanyl during Catawba County Superior Court on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. The … Read More
Gary Allen Hutchinson, 41, of Morganton, was given an active prison term of six to nine years following his conviction for multiple criminal offenses and admission of his habitual felon status during Catawba County Superior Court on Thursday, June 4, … Read More
Tyler Austin Patterson, 31, of Claremont, was sentenced to serve six to eight years in prison following his conviction for trafficking fentanyl by possession and transportation during Catawba County Superior Court on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The Honorable Athena F. … Read More