Maiden Man Gets Long Prison Sentence For Murder

A Maiden man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s mother. 38-year-old Michael Steven Ricker received a minimum prison sentence of just over 33 years last week in the death of a woman in October of 2023.Ricker was charged in connection to the October 21, 2023 death of 63-year-old Lesa Armstrong Rose. She was found by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Officers deceased in a bathroom of a home on Ginger Lane in Maiden. Authorities say the victim was Ricker’s ex-girlfriend’s mother.

Ricker appeared in Lincoln County Superior Court and entered a plea agreement this week. He pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder amended from the original charge of first-degree murder. Ricker was sentenced by Superior Court Judge T. Pomeroy to 397 to 489 months or 33 years, one month to 40 years, nine months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections with 760 days credit for time served.

Ricker faced additional charges from Catawba County, where he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and discharging a firearm into occupied property. He was sentenced to an additional 180 months to 238 months to run concurrently with the Lincoln County sentence.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY