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Lionel Melvin Carter III, 34, incarcerated at Sussex State Prison, allegedly conspired with three other men to lure his wife, Egypt Zapporah Carter of Burlington, NC, to a Woodbridge neighborhood on Feb. 2.
She was ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in her vehicle near Bronson Court and Brickwood Drive, police said.
The victim was reportedly drawn to the area under the ruse of picking up prescription narcotics for her husband.
Instead, investigators say, the plot ended with her being shot multiple times. A small dog in the vehicle was unharmed.
The investigation revealed the coordinated involvement of three other men, who either executed the murder, were present during the crime, or helped arrange it.
On Dec. 2, a grand jury indicted Carter and another suspect, Grorethas Gresean McKinnon Jr., 26, on charges including aggravated murder, conspiracy, and use of a firearm in a felony.
Denzel Scott Wade, 30, and Drew Courtney Buchanan, 27, who were previously arrested, face additional charges for their roles in the crime.
All four men remain incarcerated as the case continues.
Prince William County detectives uncovered the murder-for-hire scheme during a lengthy investigation. They learned the victim had been deliberately lured to the location where she was ambushed.
Anyone with information that can aid the investigation is urged to contact Prince William County police.
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