Judge keeps Eve Carson documents sealed

PITTSBORO — Most court records in the Eve Carson murder case remain under seal following a judge’s order today.

Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour ruled that publicizing the documents, including search warrants and supporting materials, would endanger two confidential informants and would interfere with the police investigation.

“The public has a right to information in criminal proceedings,” Baddour wrote, “but not in this specific case at this specific time when it interferes with the public’s interest in the investigation of crime, or the defendant’s right (and public’s right, for that matter) to a fair process, free from undue prejudice.”

Police found Carson's body in a wooded neighborhood near UNC-Chapel Hill about 5 a.m. March 5. Within days, they released security-camera photographs of suspects Demario Atwater and Laurence Lovette.

Since then, authorities have been tight-lipped about their case against the two men.

Last month, Baddour, Superior Court Judge Carl Fox and Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner sealed six sets of records in the case.

In arguing for keeping the records away from the public eye, District Attorney Jim Woodall handed Baddour an additional letter on the condition that its contents also be sealed.

Woodall gave no indication as to what the letter said or who wrote it. He presented it while discussing two confidential informants whose lives he said would be in danger if the search warrants were made public.

"I've got concerns about protecting the integrity of this investigation, protecting the lives of these informants, and ensuring the defendants' right to a fair trial," Woodall said. "[Police] feel that it's imperative that what's contained in these search warrants not be made public until they've concluded their investigation."

John Bussian, who represents the Durham Herald-Sun, said the Carson case is of "unparalleled public importance."

He said the "blanket nature" of the orders sealing the search warrants made it impossible to know what information the judges thought could be released and which should be sealed.

"Without seeing them, I'm kind of shadowboxing here," said Bussian, who also objected to Baddour's sealing the new letter. "I'm not sure whether ... somebody's safety was thought to be in jeopardy or whether pretrial publicity was the concern."