Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Raleigh man found guilty in girlfriend's beating death


Posted: May. 18 4:17 p.m.

A Raleigh man accused of beating his girlfriend to death nearly two years ago was convicted Monday of first-degree murder.

A jury sentenced Robert Lee Griffin, 64, to life in prison for the conviction, stemming from the Nov. 10, 2007, death of Naomi Elizabeth Harris, 61. Under North Carolina law, there is no possibility of parole for a life sentence on a murder conviction.

Witnesses said they heard loud banging noises from Harris' Brookside Drive apartment the night before her death and that they saw a man wielding a night at the complex the day her body was found. 

Griffin has a history of violent crimes dating back to 1968 with charges and convictions in multiple states – including Colorado, Maryland and North Carolina – ranging from assault to drug and weapons violations. 

Court records indicate that in the years prior to Harris' death, police arrested Griffin four times after Harris reported he was violent toward her. He served three months in prison.

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