Hitmen paid to kill woman in Virginia murder-for-hire plot: police
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Prince William County Police announced Monday that the death of a woman earlier this year was part of a murder-for-hire plot.
23-year-old Egypt Zapporah Carter was shot and killed while in her car in a quiet Woodbridge neighborhood on Feb. 2 around 2 a.m.
On Monday, investigators said two men she didn't know were paid to end her life.
Neighbors who have been following this case for nearly nine months say they are devastated.
"It's awful, people do anything for money," said one neighbor who said she was leaving to go to work at 3 a.m. on the night of the murder in February and saw the police and ambulance. "It's awful to take an innocent life like that. Women have to be careful, you can't be out here traveling alone at night - you really have to be careful. I'm glad you're covering this because it is so important."
Police arrested Drew Buchanan, 27, on Oct. 15 and charged him with 2nd-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
He is being held without bond.
Featured
Woodbridge community shaken by fatal shooting of 23-year-old woman
A victim fatally shot in her car Friday morning in a northern Virginia neighborhood has been identified as 23-year-old Egypt Zapporah Carter of Burlington, North Carolina.
Denzel Wade, who investigators said was with Buchanan at the time of the killing, is wanted for conspiracy to commit a felony.
Both men are from Woodbridge.
Detectives said the men didn't know Carter - but were hired by someone who did know her - to murder her.
"Thankfully the person in custody is our shooter, and he was the one that was solicited to carry out the act while our second outstanding suspect was essentially with him at the time," said Lt. Jonathan Perok with Prince William County Police.
Perok said investigators knew this was an unusual case and not a random shooting fairly quickly, since nothing was taken or disturbed - and they have been actively investigating this for more than eight months.
A dog was with Carter in the car at the time - unharmed and taken to animal control.
Police said Carter used to have ties to this area but had been living in Burlington, North Carolina, and it's still not clear why she was in Woodbridge that night or who hired the hit against her.
Investigators said they are planning on charging more people in this case in the coming weeks.