Murder suspect makes first Buncombe court appearance; probable cause hearing scheduled

Ryan Oehrli
Asheville Citizen Times
Views of the Buncombe County Courthouse on May 10, 2022.

ASHEVILLE - Quinten Dana Bashaw, suspected of murdering a man in Leicester, made his first court appearance via video May 27. 

Bashaw, 57, faces charges for second degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life without parole, and resisting a public officer. His probable cause hearing was scheduled for June 17 in district court. 

Bashaw was arrested by Wilmington police and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Citizen Times previously reported. The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office has charged him with murdering Charles Radcliffe in September 2021.

Several agencies played a role in the investigation, spokespersons with the Wilmington Police Department and BCSO said.

Previous reporting:Murder suspect in 2021 death arrested, extradited to Buncombe County for arraignment

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A death certificate obtained by the Citizen Times says Radcliffe died from blunt trauma to his head and neck. His death "was only determined to be a homicide as of the last few weeks," spokesperson Carolina Siliceo Perez told the Citizen Times May 26.

Bashaw was being held in the Buncombe County jail on the two charges May 27, with no bond. Attorneys would be in touch with him to discuss his next steps in the case, Buncombe County District Court Judge Patricia Young told him at the arraignment. 

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He was set to be appointed an attorney.

At one point during his arraignment, Bashaw began to speak, but Young quickly spoke over him, warning that anything he said could be used against him. 

The Sheriff's Office reported a 100% clearance rate of its homicide cases in 2021, meaning it filed charges in all six homicides it investigated. 

Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email coehrli@citizentimes.com or call/text 252-944-6816 for tips.