Jacksonville man pleads guilty to murder, sentenced

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A Jacksonville man will spend between 29-35.8 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced on Friday.

The sentencing was presided over for Darwin Robinson by Judge Henry L. Stevens, IV. Dick McNeil, Attorney at Law, represented the defendant.  Mike Maultsby was the prosecutor.

Officials said on July 12, 2021, at 5:23 p.m., officers from the Jacksonville Police Department responded to Room 117 of Triangle Motor Inn about a suspected overdose.  The boyfriend of victim Miranda Hullender found her lifeless body in the hotel room he shared with the victim after he got off from work.

Police quickly determined her death was a homicide and not a drug overdose. Robinson was identified as a suspect by video footage from a nearby business, which showed him entering the victim’s hotel room at 8:36 a.m. and leaving approximately 50 minutes later.

The investigation showed the defendant previously sold pills to Hullender, which Robinson said were opiates but were blood pressure pills. Investigators found the Hullender’s two cell phones in the defendant’s home.

Robinson was interviewed by police and admitted to choking Hullender after she pulled a knife on him. Officials said there was no evidence to corroborate Robinson’s allegation that he was attacked. Hullender’s autopsy documented findings consistent with asphyxia via manual strangulation including cutaneous contusions and abrasions, hemorrhage of the anterior neck musculature, oral and conjunctival petechiae, and fracture of the hyoid bone.

Robinson was arrested 48 hours later.

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