Man pleads guilty for murder of 14-year-old Kannapolis boy in 2017, Mecklenburg DA says

CHARLOTTE — One of the two men charged with the murder of a 14-year-old Kannapolis boy in east Charlotte in 2017 pleaded guilty on Wednesday to second-degree murder, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney.

The DA’s Homicide Team called Mangasha Dion Clark Jr to trial with a first-degree murder charge. During the trial, Clark entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder.

Clark was sentenced to up to 16 years in prison.

[PAST COVERAGE: Community, family remember slain 14-year-old Kannapolis boy]

Now 24, Clark was charged with the murder of Anthony Frazier when he was just 19. Reginald Lee Edmonds, then 17, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Charges remain pending in Edmonds’ case.

(Mangasha Clark, Reginald Edmonds)

Authorities said the community stepped up and gave them the information they needed to make the arrests.

Anthony was the son of a Kannapolis police officer. He had just spent a night celebrating his birthday with family members in January 2017 when he was shot.

(Anthony Frazier)

Investigators said the teen and his aunt were pulling into their home on Finchley Drive when they spotted two young men hiding in the bushes. Sources told Channel 9 that the two men ran before one turned around and fired several shots, hitting Anthony while he was sitting in the back seat of the car.

Police said they have no evidence showing that the suspects knew Frazier, which officers said made the investigation more difficult.

Channel 9 dug through their records and found multiple charges, including numerous break-ins, many of them after Frazier’s murder.

One victim declined to speak on camera but said that Clark kicked in their back door, but no one was home.

Police don’t know a motive behind the shooting, but said Frazier was an innocent victim. For all the answers they still don't have, investigators hope the arrests offer some relief.

“It's not going to ease the pain that his family feels moving forward,” Maj. Cam Selvey said. “I hope that it provides them with some ability to move forward and some closure to this part so they can better manage the grieving process.”

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