Prosecutors said there was no clear motive, and Algarad, who was charged with first-degree murder in Wetzlers death and accessory after the fact to murder for helping Burch bury Welch, killed himself while inside Central Prison in October 2015. that is degrading to another person. Jim ONeill, Forsyth County district attorney, said at a news conference Wednesday that it would have been at least a year before Algarads case would have gone to trial. He was 36 . The house was deemed unfit for human habitation by Forsyth County inspectors and later demolished. The excrement on the floor might have been both animal and human, the friend said.He was on all kinds of drugs and would drink when I got there, she said. She said since Wetzlers body was found, she has been focused on helping with a documentary about the case called American Monster that she hopes will help raise awareness on mental illness. Sometimes Cynthia goes by various nicknames including Cynthia Lawson James, Cynthia P Lawson, Cynthia Lawson James, Cynthia L James and Cynthia P James. The couple and Cynthia's son lived in a home at 2749 Knob Hill Drive, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 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Outside changes are also recommended, such as removing the unused pool in the backyard. On Oct. 28, 2015, Algarad was discovered dead in his cell at Raleighs central prison, to which hed been transferred on a sealed safekeeping order. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Low 37F. She is a real living hero.. Carter said Wetzler often hit the road for a few months and that he liked going to music festivals and listening to jam bands such as Widespread Panic and the Grateful Dead. I do want to say that I dont think the phenomena that what happened with the police and the sheriffs office in Forsyth County is a local issue, Gillespie told me near the end of our conversation. The Forsyth County housing department is giving the owner of the Clemmons house where human skeletal remains were found buried in the backyard until Feb. 13 to submit proof that she plans to make it inhabitable, according to an official. Stacey Carter, Wetzlers former girlfriend and the mother of his now-12-year-old son, said she last saw Wetzler in July 2009. State finds issues with public records, open meetings and handling of contract for lawyer. Background, Court records found on Cynthia's Family, His birth name was John Alexander Lawson and he changed his name Pazuzu Illah Algarad officiallyin 2002. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Amber Nicole Burch, who, along with her late boyfriend, Pazuzu Algarad, is accused of killing and burying two men in 2009 in the backyard of their Clemmons house, will spend 30 to 40 years in prison. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Read more: The Journal's Pazuzu Algarad coverage from beginning to end, Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11. Later in 2012, he was convicted of accessory. Krystal Matlock blows a kiss to her family as she leaves the courtroom, Monday, June 5, 2017. Amber Burch, girlfriend of the late Pazuzu Algarad, is led into the courtroom in shackles to plead guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Tommy Dean Welch, one of two men found buried in the backyard of Algarads house in Clemmons. Be Nice. Please subscribe to keep reading. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. You can cancel at any time. Gillespie neither believes in Satan nor that the man born with the name John Lawson became a murderer as a result of Satanic beliefs. The two are accused of murdering Joshua Fredrick Wetzler and Tommy Dean Welch in 2009, then burying their bodies behind the home at 2749 Knob Hill Drive. Court documents presented by law enforcement officers alleged that Algarad regularly performed "satanic rituals" and animal sacrifices at the Clemmons home. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. On March 9, 2017, Burch pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery and accessory after the fact to murder. He legally changed his name in 2002, taking "Pazuzu" from the Assyrian king of demons mentioned in The Exorcist. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I am not shocked. Algarad was born in San Francisco in 1978 and his birth name was John Alexander Lawson. In 1990, Cynthia married a man named Johnny James and the trio moved into No.2749 Knob Hill Drive. businesses, and does affect the Reputation Score. Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools Chief Tricia McManus had to pivot quickly with new role. She is alleged to have helped with the burial of Wetzler. The most powerful sequences in The Devil You Know depict Stacey Carters five-year quest to find out what happened to her former boyfriend Josh Wetzler, who disappeared in July of 2009. City officials and downtown business owners to meet Thursday. It was already viewed The channel is also available on DirecTV (271), Dish (121) and U-Verse (1257). Cynthia James is 73 years old today because Cynthia's birthday is on 12/25/1949. It bore bizarre graffiti, such as "Evil will triumph" on the front door and words scrawled in another language that might have been an attempt to deem the home "the house of devil worshippers. Cynthia and her son, Lawson, were primarily from California, but she, along with her son, moved to Forsyth County, where Cynthia spent most of her childhood. The first episode is nowavailable for free on Vicelands YouTube page. Edit. His death was ruled a suicide, and authorities said he used something to cut himself. An autopsy would later say he died from severe blood loss caused by a deep wound to a major blood vessel in his left arm, at the pit of his elbow. IMDb Best of 2022. Stacey Carter, Wetzlers former girlfriend and the mother of his son, said Wednesday that a sheriffs detective called her about 11 a.m. and told her about Algarads death. I feel like Im not any closer to knowing any details.. But I was really young and still in film school, and not ready to turn the camera on the kind of experience still percolating with me, she added. The last moments of Tommy Dean Welchs life were spent sitting on a couch just before Amber Nicole Burch grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and shot him twice in the back of the head in October 2009, a Forsyth County sheriffs detective said in court Thursday. An evil anniversary: The Pazuzu Algarad case broke 7 years ago. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Forsyth County prosecutors said she used a .22-caliber rifle to shoot Tommy Dean Welch twice as he sat on a couch in the home the two shared at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons. Snowy Saturday for some, drier Sunday afternoon. Workers attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at 4:20 a.m. And that's the point where John started to change. On October 28, 2015, prison guards reportedly discovered self-proclaimed "Satanist" and accused murderer Pazuzu Illah Algarad dead in his cell. When I was 19, my best friends big brother was murdered by a couple of local kids, and I was shocked by the communitys and medias response, which was about how those were kids from the other side of the tracks, those kids drank, those kids did drugs, those kids had dads in jail, those kids were not our kids, instead of looking at the real issues leading to the actual horrific crime.. 468 times Detectives say Algarads mother, Cynthia James, was inside the home when both murders occurred. Moreover, under his new identity, Pazuzu claimed to be of Iraqi descent with a Satanist mother. She didnt report him missing until six months later after he failed to make contact with his family during the Christmas holidays. She said she wasnt surprised. Kornelis said the tax value of the house is $102,592. This may contain information such as company name, job title, address, and time period of service. An American flag flapped in the breeze. Both men disappeared in 2009. While Cynthia initially got Algarad the psychiatric help he needed, she ran out of money and was no longer able to afford treatment for him. Meadows said the investigation indicated that Wetzler had lived at the house for at least two to three weeks before he was shot to death in July 2009. You can cancel at any time. He certainly had his little group and his following of fellow misfits, poor people who also felt abandoned by society, which is why they were attracted to him. Cynthia James currently lives in Clemmons, NC; in the past Cynthia has also lived in Pfafftown NC and Winston Salem NC. Items from his cell, sent to the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, included an electric razor and a clear, unlabeled bottle filled with red fluid. It addresses the social and economic gap between Clemmons, the suburb where the crimes occurred, and Winston-Salem, the city where they were investigated, and alleges a lack of concern for the victims on the part of the investigators. Algarad, Burch and Matlock were all scheduled to appear in Forsyth District Court today, though the case would likely have been continued. The victims were later identified as two men, Joshua Fredrick Wetzler, and Tommy Dean Welch. The Forsyth County housing department said the owner of the home at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons had until mid-February to submit proof she would make it habitable. However, evidence refuted that claim. National and international coverage largely ignored this, instead emphasizing Algarads self-proclaimed Satanism. If you lie to your spouse, you end up in divor. Boyer said Algarad had significant mental health issues. Sometimes Cynthia goes by various nicknames including Cynthia Lawson James, Cynthia P Lawson, Cynthia Lawson James, Cynthia L . Tax documents list Cynthia James and Johnny James as co-owners of the property. A friend of Burchs told the Winston-Salem Journal in 2014 that she and Burch went to Bible study together when they lived in Rock Hill. People trying to revive him failed, and Pazuzu was pronounced dead on 28 October 2015. Mar 4, 1950 - Jun 17, 2018. It is sad for them and out of respect for them we just wouldnt have any further comment on it, ONeill said. Pazuzu Illah Algarad, 35, and Amber Nicole Burch, 24, both of Clemmons, have each been charged with one count of murder and one count of accessory after the fact to murder. The video from inside Pazuzu Algarads home has provided some long-awaited answers. Learn more in our Privacy Policy. There was an error processing your request. Algarad was accused of misleading investigators and allowing a suspect in the shooting to stay at his home. County housing officials declare the home Pazuzu Algarad and Amber Burch shared with Cynthia Lawson was unfit for human habitation. Little things or a song would click and make me think of her. Stacey is such a wonderful, lovable person. I asked her to describe how Nance went from source to participant and subject in the documentary. Ask SAM: Did Tim McCarver sell cars in Winston-Salem after retiring from baseball? The alleged was charged of many deadly sins, which include burying bodies in his former Clemmon home's backyard. The way I think about it now, if I ever get a chance to talk to Amber this is going to be my turning point on how I see her: If it is really Amber, or if she is really crazy as well. Following the execution of the search warrants at the Clemmons home in 2014, Algarad was interviewed by the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office. According to arrest warrants, investigators allege that Algarad killed Wetzler in July 2009 and that Burch helped him bury the body, then Burch is alleged to have killed Welch in October 2009 and that Algarad helped her bury the body. They are now divorced. In August of 2011, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge . (Video tour of the home at2749 Knob Hill Drive). Burchs guilty pleas Thursday marked part of an ending to one of the most bizarre murder cases in Forsyth Countys history. City officials and downtown business owners to meet Thursday. The earliest is examined in the final episode, which includes a very moving scene Ive agreed not to describe until the series is over. After some time in Forsyth, Cynthia fell for a man, Larry James, and decided to tie the knots. Those who knew Burch claim that she changed when she began dating Pazuzu Algarad, who was born John Lawson. But I think its really important and compelling and relatable to anybody who has a family.. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Three months before, Algarad had used that same rifle to fatally shoot Joshua Fredrick Wetzler. Kornelis said the department gives people an initial 30-day deadline, but then has leeway to continue working with property owners. Winston-Salem man charged with having a weapon of mass destruction, a submachine gun. . Authorities executed a search warrant at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons. Amber Nicole Burch, girlfriend of the avowed Satanist Pazuzu Algarad, was convicted Thursday morning of fatally shooting one man and helping A. Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con is back! Pazuzu Illah Algarad was accused of putting his mother, Cynthia Lawson, in a chokehold at the home they shared at 2749 Knob Hill Drive in Clemmons. Authorities with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety say it was an apparent suicide. They say when Welch was killed, James was in her bedroom once more. The series, which will be featured on Netflix as well tries to get to the bottom of Pazuzu Algarad's story. According to a video and a report by Nelson, there was debris and broken glass in hallways, piles of trash in several rooms, hundreds of dead and living flies, feces and urine ground into the floor and walls, decayed animal parts and remains, fire damage to walls, and Pentagrams and other satanic messages scrawled on the walls. I was looking for cases that felt like what I had experienced, and this one checked a lot of the boxes. The affidavit did not offer any details about his religion, but Pazuzu is the name of an Assyrian demon mentioned in the movie The Exorcist.. The devil worshipper could be labeled as a hallucinating person as he used to claim he could control the weather at his will. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). When she arrived, she arrived to the decomposing body of Joshua Wetzler in the basement, said Detective C.E. Pazuzu Illah Algarad, then 35, and Amber Nicole Burch, then 24, both of the home, were each charged with one count of murder and one count of accessory after the fact to murder. According to five-part series dedicated to the satan worshipper by Fox 8 News, John Lawson, aka Pazuzu Algarad, was raised by his mother, Cynthia. He felt such actions stripped the body of its defenses in warding off infection and illness., Pazuzu Algarad and Amber Burch in October 2014. She fell into his lifestyle and fell into his identity, she said. He was diagnosed with several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and agoraphobia. According to interviews conducted, psychiatrists concluded Pazuzu suffered from multiple mental disorders like schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and alcoholism. 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Burchs friend spoke about conditions inside the house that were so bad she thought she might vomit.When the friend first arrived to visit Burch in 2009, Algarad was completely naked and never put on any clothes during the visit. John Lawson's mother, Cynthia, spoke of her son's mental health issues, which started at a young age. He had very serious mental health issues that presented from a young age, and his family didnt have the money necessary to take care of those problems. She also praised Hewlett and his amazing attorney Amanda Martin for getting sealed documents about the case released. Pazuzu Algarad was found dead at 4:20 a.m. in his cell at Central Prison in Raleigh. 6 entrepreneurs lead the Downtown Winston food scene. Rooms and hallways were blanketed in trash and animal carcasses. Algarad, 36, who was facing a first-degree murder charge, was found unresponsive with a wound to his arm at 3 a.m. Wednesday at Central Prison in Raleigh, where he had been since May 13 on a sealed safe-keeping order. people learn more about others, just like Yelp does for Two months after the conviction, she was charged with assault and battery, with police alleging she hit Algarad in the face. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Read more: The Journal's Pazuzu Algarad coverage from beginning to end, Black Mountain Chocolate to shut down March 11. and that as part of that separation Cynthia James received the home. Wetzler disappeared in July 2009, and Welch vanished in October 2009. Moments before, Burch, 27, had announced that she would kill Welch, and her boyfriend, avowed Satanist Pazuzu Algarad, told her she knew where the gun was and that it was loaded. The day after Pazuzu Algarad died of an apparent suicide in prison, his two co-defendants made court appearances. This is obviously an emotional moment for Tommys family, Taylor said in court. Police close Burke Street to investigate shooting death, Diamondback to open lunch spot in Innovation Quarter, Rural Hall officials violated state law, audit finds. They say several weeks after Wetzlers murder, Algarad contacted Burch and requested her to come to the Clemmons home. After Burch, the only remaining co-defendant is Krystal Nicole Matlock, 30, who is charged with accessory after the fact to murder. I know he had a really close relationship with Stacey Carter throughout this process and was helping her find out what really happened to Josh, and understand what was going on from a legal standpoint, and I benefitted from that, too.. . Cynthia left the house in her son's care, who was born as John Lawson and later legally changed his name to Pazuzu Algarad. Man died Wednesday. Creative Greensboro and Shared Radiance Present Romeo and Juliet March 16-19, Seven Local Campaign Partners and Volunteer Honored with United Way Spirit of NC Awards, The Carl Chavis YMCA Celebrates Grand ReOpening of $4.5 million Expansion and Renovation Project with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on March 5, Musical Chairs: Architects, coliseum manager propose new live music venue for downtown Greensboro. Algarad was reportedly found bleeding from a deep wound on one of his arms. A man upset with his order at a Little Caesars in Winston-Salem fires gun at an employee; no one is injured. It wasnt because of the horrific nature of the crime, but all the forces around these peoplethe health care crisis, issues in modern policing, the opioid crisis, the war on drugs all the factors contributing to getting them here for this horrific thing to happen. Psychiatrists who interviewed Algarad said had had schizophrenia, agoraphobia and alcoholism, but found him mentally competent to stand trial. Pazuzu Algarad and his girlfriend, Amber Burch, lived at the house with James, who is Algarads mother. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Pazuzu, whose real name was John Alexander Lawson, has a bone-chilling story of how he transformed himself into a devil worshipper. PHOTOS: See a collection of photos from the cleanup inside the Pazuzu Algarad house. Pazuzu Allegard and Amber Burch have been charged with murder. On October 5, 2014, the investigation team uncovered shallow grave in the backyard of Pazuzu's house, which contained skeletal remains. Every single one of these victims fell through giant cracks in the social safety net of this country.. They also reported had intentionally filed down his teeth and had poor hygiene and body odor, the report said. Dan Kornelis, director of the Forsyth County Department of Housing and Community Development, said that Cynthia James, who owns the house at 2749 Knob Hill Drive, has expressed interest in repairing it. On June 5, 2017, Matlock pleaded guilty to conspiracy to accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and was sentenced to three years and two months to four years and 10 months in prison. Two people have been shot and killed in downtown Winston-Salem. His self-proclaimed wife, Amber Burch, 24, is also accused of killing another man. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. On Thursday, Burch pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed robbery and accessory after the fact to murder. A journalist races to learn the truth when human remains are found in the home of self-proclaimed Satanist Pazuzu. What information about Cynthia are you looking for? After a hearing with housing officials Nov. 21, James had a 30-day deadline to make repairs or make arrangements to have the house demolished. We use cookies to personalize & enhance your experience. Moreover, Algarad was convicted for numerous other crimes like shooting a person named Emmrick Chandler to death in his hometown Clemmons. Boyer said law enforcement was called to the house for domestic violence reasons. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Her warrants allege that she helped Algarad bury an unidentified male in his backyard sometime between June and August of 2009.Based on the arrest warrants, it appears that investigators believe that in July of 2009 Algarad killed Wetzler and that Burch helped him bury that body. Episode 1 - Looking back at the Pazuzu Algarad case 5 years later Podcast Two killed in wrong-way wreck on Interstate 40. City officials and downtown business owners to meet Thursday. Cassandra. But James cannot live in the house because it has been declared unfit for human habitation and must meet with county housing officials about how to make repairs to the house or else it might be condemned.Algared's next court appearance is April 30, 2015. The housing department in October declared the house unfit for human habitation, documenting mold, feces, decayed animal remains, flies and debris throughout. Something people may not be getting from the promos is that, over the course of the series, we deconstruct the sensationalism surrounding the case, said Gillespie, referring to how articles about murder often obscure what she calls the actionable fact of violence in this country by ignoring both its causes and casualties. Detective C.E. He gave me a crash course on the history of the greater Winston-Salem area, and the differences between the suburbs, and how industry leaving that city affected the population., Gillespie said the in-depth reporting of the Journals Michael Hewlett was humane and heroic., Hes an amazing journalist, she said of Hewlett. Months later, in October of 2009, detectives say Algarad, Burch and another person picked up Tommy Dean Welch from a gas station in Clemmons. Matlock was accused of helping bury the man. Pazuzu Algarad, an avowed Satanist accused of killing one of two men buried for five years in the backyard of a Clemmons house, apparently killed himself the day before he was due in Forsyth District Court, officials said Wednesday. Owner of Clemmons house where bodies were found given deadline for repair plans. racist or sexually-oriented language. Pamela Walker, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Wednesday that Algarad was housed with the general population and that prison officials conduct bed checks every hour, along with additional formal counts several times a day. The house belonged to Cynthia James and was occupied by James, her son Pazuzu Algarad, and Algarad's self-proclaimed wife, Amber Burch. Last month a front-end loader scooped up tires, lawn mowers and other debris from outside the home. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. She said there needs to be more efforts at intervention and prevention so that children suffering from mental illness dont grow up and hurt people. The Clemmons house where the skeletal remains of two men missing since 2009 were found last month is a mess, according to a video shot by a co. Personal details about Cynthia include: political affiliation is unknown; ethnicity is Caucasian; and religious views are listed as Christian. The last chapter in one of Forsyth Countys most bizarre murder cases the brutal killings of two men, who were then buried for five years in, The body of Pazuzu Algarad, ne John Alexander Lawson, hadnt even been moved to the morgue Wednesday before the idle speculation began about . The first of two foreclosure steps has been taken on the Clemmons home where human skeletal remains were found buried in the backyard in October. Friel said the case was difficult and complex. It was also noted Pazuzu's whole body was volatile as he had poor hygiene. 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