Morganton man arrested on kidnapping and domestic violence

The Morganton Department of Public Safety arrested Terry Eugene Hawkins, 56, of Morganton, on Sept. 19, one day after he allegedly kidnapped the victim, beat her, doused her with water, and held her for hours, slapping her awake when she fell asleep.

According to court documents, Hawkins forced the victim out of bed and out of her clothes before placing a mattress against the door to prevent her escape. He later allegedly made her crawl to the kitchen, where he poured water on her and turned a leaf blower on her.

When the entire episode ended, he threw her outside the residence while naked, where law enforcement eventually found her, said the arrest report.

Officers arrested Hawkins on charges of felony second-degree kidnapping and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Following his arrest, Hawkins was initially held without bond, with court documents referencing a history of failures to appear and multiple prior felony convictions “demonstrating a pattern of conduct for committing the same or substantially similar offenses.”

Court documents also state that Hawkins exhibited behaviors indicating he was a danger to himself or others, including a known mental health diagnosis.

Due to the combined stack of a dangerous mental health diagnosis, repeat felonies of a similar nature, and the violent nature of the crime, the court considers this an Iryna’s Law Violent Offense, meaning Hawkins faces stricter pretrial release conditions, according to North Carolina General Statute.

Hawkins did not get shuffled in as defendants usually are on first appearance, instead appearing through a video call on courtroom TV screens on Sept. 21.

He waived his right to a court-appointed attorney, opting to instead hire his own — Wayne Clontz was retained later in the week.

During his first appearance, the district attorney’s office “asked that the bond be substantial to protect the victim.”

Hawkins attempted to interject, saying to the judge, “I’m handicapped. I’m disabled,” before the judge cut him off and reiterated that Hawkins should not tell him any of the facts of the case that weren’t related to setting his bond.

Although Hawkins said he had a place to go if he was released from jail, the judge set his secured bond at $250,000 “due to the fairly extreme severity of the charges.”

Should he make bail, he is to have no contact with the victim, possess no weapons, and use no controlled substances.

As of Sept. 24, he is still in custody.

His next appearance in court is on Oct. 12 for a probable cause hearing, unless he is indicted by a grand jury before then.