Prosecutors: Mom had teen son change pants in Rock Hill double murder to thwart cops

A Rock Hill mother told her teen son, who is charged in a double murder, to change his pants in an attempt to hide evidence from police, prosecutors said in court.

Willy Thompson, 16th Circuit deputy solicitor, said in court Thursday that Nikkiyah Latrice Alston, 43, had her son change two sets of sweatpants while in police custody to keep officers from getting key evidence including gunshot residue.

Alston was jailed March 6 on a $250,000 bond for obstruction of justice charge and remains in Moss Justice Center in York County. Her lawyer’s said the bond was unreasonably high. Alston faces up to 10 years for obstruction for the misdemeanor charge.

Alston’s son, Samuel Saadiq Robinson, 16, is charged with two counts of murder for “shooting the victims execution-style in the back of the head” on Feb. 26, Thompson said.

The teen was arrested three days after the shooting in Charlotte for the deaths of Zuinquarius McCrorey, 20, and Malik McCullough, 23. Both men were found shot to death inside a car Feb. 26 at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Jones Avenue in Rock Hill.

Police said Robinson was friends with both men, rode in a car with them, then shot both in the head in a gang-related killing.

Robinson then jumped out of the car, hid the gun and faked trying to help the men when police arrived, police and prosecutors say. The gun was later found next to a nearby house, court testimony showed.

On the day of the shootings, Robinson was questioned but he was not arrested because police did not have evidence at the time, Thompson said.

Because of Robinson’s age, his mother was picked up by police at Robinson’s request and allowed in the police interview room. Robinson denied involvement in the shootings, Thompson said.

During a break in the questioning, Alston told her son to switch sweatpants he was wearing so police would seize an inner pair and not the outer pair Robinson was wearing, Thompson said. Alston tried to shield the video camera from her son as he changed pants, Thompson said.

After questioning, Robinson fled to Charlotte. He was charged three days after the killing.

After viewing videotape of the interview days later on March 5, police saw the pants exchange.

“The police then knew they had been hoodwinked and she (Alston) was responsible,” Thompson said in court. “She told him to switch pants.”

Alston did not speak in court Thursday about the case. She only said she was employed as a courier delivering online ordered food and other items when she was arrested.

Montrio Belton, Alston’s lawyer, said in court that she disputes claims that she directed her son to change his pants while her son was being questioned, or that she shielded him from cameras. Belton said he has not yet been provided a copy of the police station videotape.

Belton said Alston is not a flight risk or danger to the community and had no role in the killings.

Circuit Court Judge Bill McKinnon lowered Alston’s bond to $50,000 but warned he will not tolerate activity to “thwart” the police investigation.

“If in any way you attempt to influence this investigation, I am going to revoke your bond,” McKinnon said.

Robinson remains in a juvenile jail and faces up to life in prison if convicted as an adult.

This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 1:41 PM.