Two years ago, in Nov. 2017, 5-year-old Paitin Fields was sexually assaulted and strangled to death in Pender County, NC. The child, mixed-race, was the niece of white supremacist David Pravette, who authorities have said is the only known suspect in the case.
A local news station, WECT 6 News, reported that her white uncle is “known for having intense racial hatred, . . . a history of violence … and other criminal charges that he’s currently in prison for right now.”
Pravette has not been charged.
Local authorities dragged their feet on this investigation from the very beginning. Five weeks after the body was sent to the morgue, local media contacted the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and asked why no autopsy had been performed. The Medical Examiner told the news station that the autopsy had been performed by the East Carolina University Division of Autopsy and Forensic Services.
When the station, WWAY, called ECU they were told that the autopsy had not been performed and was currently “pending.” ECU said no further information could be released, explaining that state law allowed 180 days for an autopsy to be done.
Two years later, and tired of the lack of movement on the case, the National Black Leadership Caucus (NBLC) held a press conference on Monday, January 20, demanding that both the Pender County Sheriff and the District Attorney take immediate action to charge Prevatte in the child’s murder.
No word yet on a response from either office.
