(Pitt County Detention Center)
A grieving son has shared details about his final moments with his parents before their tragic deaths, as he held the alleged murderer at gunpoint until authorities arrived. T.D. Gribble recounted his visit with his parents, Paula, 76, and Anthony Gribble, 80, on Thursday, Jan. 9, at their home in Greenville, N.C.
“I embraced my mom Paula and kissed the head of my father Anthony,” he told NBC News. “The next time I saw them was Friday [Jan. 10] afternoon around 2 p.m. after they’d been murdered.” The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO) reported that Paula and Anthony were allegedly killed alongside their neighbor Enrique Reyes, 64, by David Lever, 55, on Jan. 10.
Authorities are investigating “an active investigation involving four different crime scenes,” according to a statement released on Saturday, Jan. 11. Officers received reports of the deaths around 2:17 p.m. and another call 30 minutes later about a home invasion and gunfire at an unoccupied residence, both allegedly linked to Lever.
According to a search warrant obtained by WITN, Paula called her son, who lives next door, to inform him Lever was at their home on Jan. 10. T.D. discovered his parents fatally injured and confronted Lever, ordering him to raise his hands while keeping his hand on his holstered weapon. T.D. did not draw his gun and immediately called 911.
“He maintained composure and begged for the dispatcher to send a sheriff with lights and sirens,” T.D.’s wife, Dana Gribble, told NBC News. “He said, ‘Please send them fast.’” Police arrived shortly after and took Lever into custody.
Lever was charged with three counts of open murder and appeared in court on Monday, Jan. 13. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 29, according to the PSCO.
Reports indicate that Reyes, the Gribbles’ neighbor, visited a Food Lion on Jan. 10 at approximately 1:20 p.m. before returning to his home on Forrest Acres Drive. Lever allegedly exited his property at 1:28 p.m., firing shots as he left a Speedway gas station on NC 43 North before heading toward Peace Ridge Court.
T.D. and Dana Gribble declined to disclose any possible connection between Lever and the Gribbles, with the investigation ongoing.
