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2 Stokes County men accused in beating death of another
They are charged with second-degree murder after fight on July 17
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Published: July 31, 2009
DANBURY
Two Stokes County men were charged yesterday with second-degree murder in the death of another man, authorities said.
Johnny Lee Brown Jr., 27, of 1015 Cathy Lane and Timothy Elo Wages, 41, of 1228 Ralph Boyles Road are accused of killing Jeffery Alan Barton.
Barton, 53, of 1025 Laine Road, died Monday at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
A Stokes County sheriff's deputy found Barton, injured and lying on Cathy Lane about five miles north of King, on July 17.
An autopsy showed that Barton died of a severe head injury.
Vicki Brown, Johnny Brown's mother, said that her son and her husband, Johnny Brown Sr., and Wages were involved in a fight with Barton on July 17, a day after her son's and Barton's dogs got into a fight.
Although the dogs were separated after fighting and the men apologized, she said, problems began again the next day.
Maj. Durwood Bennett of the Stokes County Sheriff's Office said that a neighbor heard a gunshot, but that the gunshot didn't hit Barton.
Barton was, however, apparently struck with a baseball bat.
Brown Jr. and Wages were charged with second-degree murder after the autopsy on Barton was conducted and after the sheriff's office spoke with the Stokes County District Attorney's Office.
Bennett declined to discuss in detail the men's roles in the killing.
"It was an argument that got out of hand and ended up tragic," he said.
Brown and Wages were being held yesterday in the Stokes County Jail, with their bonds set at $300,000 each.
They are scheduled to appear in court Monday.
■ John Hinton can be reached at 727-7299 or at jhinton@wsjournal.com.
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