LA GRANGE — Three years ago today, at 11:29 p.m., a person shot and killed Bojangles’ manager Ken Leefe as he left the Little Baltimore location in La Grange.
And now as it was then, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office investigators continue to search for a suspect.
“At this point, we’re still following up on some information that had to deal with the suspect vehicle … we’re still always searching for that vehicle, but so far, we’ve been unsuccessful in that.” LCSO Maj. Ryan Dawson said. “And no other information has been given to us.”
He said part of the problem is investigators are having trouble finding someone with the motivation to murder Leefe, a New Jersey native who had a wife and two children.
“From our investigation, we couldn’t find out where this guy had enemies,” Dawson said.
Images from a closed-circuit television camera near the scene showed a person pulling up to Leefe’s car in a 2000-2003 dark-colored Mazda 626, shooting him, then driving off down Willie Measley Road.
Earlier during the investigation, his widow, Penny Leefe, told The Free Press she believed the suspect was someone who had worked with Leefe and knew where he would be at what time, since he traveled around.
“You would have to know what store he was in, what time he was coming out and, unless you worked with him, you would not know,” Penny Leefe said.
An autopsy revealed Leefe was shot with a small-caliber bullet. Deputies found him dead 16 minutes after the shooting, slumped over the steering wheel of his green 1998 Mercury Sable LS. June 25, 2010 would have been his 56th birthday.
Leefe had plans to go to a Kinston Indians baseball game with his son, Chris, whose birthday is June 28.
In 2012, several rewards were offered for evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect. The office of former Gov. Beverly Perdue offered $5,000, as did Busted Locals proprietor Steve Barbour.
“It is important to me that we catch this person,” Barbour said in a statement. “I’m a regular customer at the particular Bojangles’. I wish I could offer more. My thoughts and prayers go out to Kenneth Michael Leefe’s family and friends.”
Days later, Bojangles’ franchisee Tands Inc. offered a $10,000 reward.
“We are all still very saddened by the loss of one of our management team members,” Tands marketing director Donna Rodwell said in a statement. “By offering this additional reward money, we hope to show our support regarding the continued investigation of the person or persons responsible for Ken’s death.”
People with information regarding the case are urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 252-559-6140 or go to the E-Tips link on the Lenoir County government website at co.lenoir.nc.us/sheriff.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
Can you help?
If you have information about the murder of Little Baltimore Bojangles’ Manager Ken Leefe, please call the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office at 252-559-6140 or go to the E-Tips link on the Lenoir County government website at co.lenoir.nc.us/sheriff. There are rewards available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer.