Tiffany Wright Was Being Pressured To Have An Abortion...Yep, He Did It

(Remembering Tiffany Wright)








Charlotte-Mecklenburg Court Document: Tiffany was being pressured to have Abortion

Royce Mitchell was pressuring 15-year-old Tiffany Wright to end her late-term pregnancy – even taking her to an Abortion clinic – according to new court documents that may shed light on why police say Mitchell should be prosecuted for statutory rape.

The documents, released Tuesday, say Mitchell took Tiffany – his adopted sister – to a Charlotte abortion clinic in July, but she was turned away because she was too far along at 21 weeks. So Mitchell planned a trip to an Atlanta clinic within days where Tiffany's pregnancy could be terminated.

Tiffany was eight-months pregnant when she was gunned down on Sept. 14 as she waited for her school bus. Doctors delivered her baby girl, but the infant later died.

Police call Mitchell, 36, a “person of interest” in the homicide, but they haven't charged him. Mitchell was jailed on charges of statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a minor.

But those charges were dropped last week by prosecutors, after a DNA test showed Mitchell was not the father of the baby. Without Tiffany alive to testify about any sexual encounters, prosecutors said the case lacked enough evidence to prosecute.

The move angered police, who released a statement critical of the decision. The statement said police believe there is “probable cause” based on “evidence gathered” to prosecute Mitchell on the sex charges – even without DNA evidence to prove that they had sex at least once.

The new information today comes from two affidavits asking a judge for search warrants of Mitchell's home and an apartment.

The affidavits say Tiffany's foster parents reported that Mitchell picked Tiffany up on July 20 about 10:30 p.m. “to take her to visit a dying relative.” Tiffany later reported she was really being held against her will by Mitchell and an unknown female “as they attempted to convince Tiffany to engage in an abortion by non-medical personnel,” the affidavits say.

Mitchell also scheduled an abortion in Atlanta and wanted to pick up Tiffany at 5 a.m. the next day from the foster home to take her there, the affidavit says. Tiffany refused.

The search warrants allowed police to seek evidence in Mitchell's home at 6921 Wandering Creek Drive and at an apartment at 1625 Flat River Drive, which police say Mitchell visited hours after Tiffany's homicide.

At his home, police seized a T-shirt, shorts, a tank top and a letter. No items were seized at the Flat River Drive apartment, according to the documents.

Mitchell remains in Mecklenburg jail under a federal warrant because the arrest on the sex charges might constitute a violation of Mitchell's supervision agreement that followed his release from federal prison in 2007.

He was sentenced in March 2002 to 70 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. He was placed on four years post-release supervision upon his release.

As part of the terms, Mitchell must have a job, meet regularly with a federal officer and stay out of trouble.



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, WIVB, Ohio.com, NY Post, CBS News, Charmeckda.com, Youtube, Google Maps