Brookford Police Chief Willie Armstrong faces charges for mishandling evidence in a 1992 cold case, raising concerns about the case’s future.
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Brookford Police Chief Willie Armstrong has been indicted on charges of altering, destroying, or stealing criminal evidence and willfully failing to discharge duties, according to documents obtained by WCNC Charlotte.
The charges stem from Armstrong’s handling of a decades-old cold case involving Dee Dee Dawkins, a girl who was raped and murdered in 1992. Brookford is a town of about 400 people in Catawba County, located just south of Hickory.
“All I was trying to do was get answers for a family and a 13-year-old child that matters,” Armstrong told WCNC Charlotte’s Tradesha Woodard in an interview conducted before the indictment was handed down.
According to a search warrant, Armstrong is accused of deliberately leaving his cell phone at a person of interest’s home while it was recording during an interview — an allegation the police chief denies.
“We walk out of the house and the phone was still sitting on the table. It was an accident, I never had a criminal intent to do anything wrong,” Armstrong said.
Catawba County District Attorney Scott Reilly stated that his office learned of the allegations of misconduct in January but referred the case to a conflict prosecutor due to the close working relationship between his office and the Brookford Police Department.
“There’s potential misconduct in the way he’s handled the case,” Reilly said.
The district attorney added, “It’s been indicted by our grand jury in connection to misconduct related to that case. I didn’t think it was proper for him to remain on the case, so I directed the Catawba County Sheriff’s [Office to take over].”
Armstrong claims he has been ordered to drop the investigation and surrender all key findings related to the cold case. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning at 9 a.m.
The indictment raises questions about the future of the Dawkins cold case investigation and whether evidence collected during Armstrong’s probe will be admissible if the case ever reaches trial.
Authorities have not indicated whether Armstrong has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the court proceedings.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
