Slaying suspect charged

[thedrifter]

Slaying suspect charged
January 21,2004
ROSELEE PAPANDREA
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A 47-year-old Marine was arrested Tuesday afternoon in connection with the killing of James Taulbee, a retired Marine master sergeant who was found dead in his home in Aragona Village earlier this month.

Ruben Wright, of Cukela Court on Camp Lejeune, was charged at about 4:30 p.m. with murder by the Onslow County Sheriff's Department and was being held without bond in Onslow County Jail, said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown in a written statement.

Sheriff's detectives met with assistant district attorneys Ernie Lee and Mike Maultsby early Tuesday to review evidence in the Taulbee homicide investigation, Brown said.

"Following the meeting, a murder warrant was issued for Ruben Wright, who was confined to the Camp Lejeune brig," Brown said.

Detectives also interviewed two other people identified as possible suspects in connection with the murder, Brown said.

No other information was available Tuesday night.

Taulbee's wife, Zenaida, found her husband dead in the bedroom of his home at 107 Chestnut Court at about 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 5, after she returned home from her job at Burger King on Camp Lejeune.

Taulbee, 47 and a native of Ohio, was shot in the forehead and cheek.

He served 25 years in the Marine Corps before his retirement in August 2002.

He was a small computer systems specialist attached to Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group.

Taulbee had two children, Justin and Lydia, who live in Dayton, Ohio.


Contact Roselee Papandrea at rpapandrea@jdnews.com or at 353-1171, Ext. 238.

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Sempers,

Roger