CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) – Two teens accused of fatally shooting a college baseball player, who was killed while responding to an online sales app similar to Cragislist almost a year ago, appeared in court Thursday.
Zachary Finch, 21, was shot and killed in June 2017 while trying to buy a phone he found on sale through an app. The fatal shooting happened outside an apartment complex on Farmer Street in broad daylight.
Family members told FOX 46 in a previous interview that Zachary was trying to buy a phone off the app “LetGo” when he was robbed and shot. He was a student-athlete at the University of the Cumberlands and a member of the baseball team.
Jah’zian Wilson, 15, and Demonte McCain, 18, were in court Thursday morning. WIlson opted not to take plea bargain and pleaded not guilty. McCain was given two more weeks to enter his plea.
“He was a good brother, a good son, a good friend, a good Christian. He was an athlete, a scholar athlete. If anyone had ever met him they know that he had an extremely bubbly personality who was extremely loving,” Nicholas Finch, Zachary’s brother, told FOX 46 Charlotte in a previous interview.
Wilson was arrested and charged in July along with a second 15-year-old. Charges against the second teen were later dismissed. McCain was arrested and charged last October.
Tara Finch, Zachary’s mother, became emotional after leaving court Thursday morning. She said she expected both Wilson and McCain to take plea deals.
“We’ve been waiting a year for this. Monday will be a year and he’s gone and we still have no resolution,” said Finch. It’s torture. You give them more time and no one game my son more.”
mother of Zachary Finch emotional after leaving court this morning. she expected the 15 year old and 18 year old accused of killing her son last June would take plea deals @FOX46News https://t.co/0hZaQX0FO5 pic.twitter.com/WOeoR1Sl0O
— Brandon Earl Smith (@BrandonFox46) June 14, 2018
After Finch’s killing, police opened 14 “exchange zones” at QuikTrip convenience stores where people can more safely conduct online transactions.
This story originally indicated that Demonte McCain entered a guilty plea. It has since been corrected.