WHITEVILLE, N.C. — A Columbus County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after receiving three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for a series of killings committed over a four‑year span.
Natrell McKinnies, 25, was sentenced Monday in Columbus County Superior Court in connection with the deaths of Diondi Sadler in 2019, De’onde Sadler in 2021, and William “June Bug” Edwards Jr. in 2023. Prosecutors had been preparing to pursue the death penalty, but the victims’ families supported a plea agreement that ensured McKinnies would never be released.
District Attorney Jon David said the decision reflected the families’ desire for certainty and closure after years of grief and repeated court delays.
“These families have endured unimaginable loss,” David said after the hearing. “This sentence guarantees accountability and spares them the trauma of a lengthy capital trial.”
The three killings, though separate incidents, were linked through investigative work by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Whiteville Police Department, and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities described the cases as complex, involving multiple crime scenes, witness interviews, and forensic evidence gathered over several years.
In court, relatives of the victims delivered emotional statements, describing the lasting impact of the violence on their families and the community. Several expressed relief that the legal process had finally reached an end.
McKinnies offered no statement before sentencing.
Judge Douglas Sasser ordered the life sentences to run consecutively, emphasizing the severity of the crimes and the lasting harm to the victims’ families.
With the plea agreement finalized, the cases are now formally closed.
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