Two Wilkes County Men Enter Guilty Pleas For Pair Of Murders

Two Wilkes County men have entered guilty pleas in separate murder cases heard in Wilkes Superior Court on Monday, May 27th.

Donald Ray Lassiter Jr., 37, of the Benham community will serve 30-39 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Stephanie Nicole Hatton, 25, of Kernersville. Her body was found shot to death at Lassiter’s home on July 18th, 2021. Hatton suffered at total of 10 gunshot wounds.

63-year old Bert Eugene Lonsway of Roaring River, was sentenced in the death of Barry Lee Buckingham, 63, of 263 North Ridge Road. An autopsy showed Buckingham died from blunt force trauma after Nov. 27, 2020. He wil serve 15-19 years. Lonsway entered an Alford plea (pleading guilty while maintaining innocence) to second-degree murder, larceny of a motor vehicle and financial card theft.