An argument in a quiet Ayden, North Carolina, neighborhood on Easter morning ended in a hail of bullets, taking the life of Anthony Marcell Sutton Supa, a 44-year-old Black man known and loved by his family and community. The tragic events of that day, April 17, 2022, set in motion an investigation that would ultimately lead to a life sentence for the man who pulled the trigger.
Anthony, known to many as “Supa,” was a father to five children: a son, Carlos Banks, and four daughters, India Blango, Brenkya Adams, Imagin Sutton, and MaKhala Dixon. He was also a doting grandfather to six grandchildren. His family ties were strong, and he is survived by his father, Danny Caldwell, a brother, and two sisters. Mr.
Sutton was a member of the Zion Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, and his death left a profound void in the lives of his relatives and friends.
Just after midnight on Easter Sunday, Ayden Police Department officers responded to a call of shots fired near the intersection of Queen and Princess streets. When they arrived, they found Anthony inside his car, suffering from gunshot wounds. Paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Pitt County District Attorney’s Office later revealed that Anthony had been seated in his vehicle, engaged in an argument with another man's grandfather.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect: Stephon Averill Rogers, then 29, of nearby Greenville. Police obtained warrants for his arrest on a charge of murder and released his description, warning that he should be considered armed and dangerous. He was taken into custody on April 29, 2022.
The case against Rogers proceeded to trial in Pitt County Superior Court in February 2026. Prosecutors argued that Rogers, who was 33 at the time of the trial, inserted himself into the argument his grandfather was having with Sutton. Evidence presented included doorbell camera footage from across the street, which showed a man identified as Rogers approaching Sutton’s car while on a cell phone. The man then reached for his waistband, drew a weapon, and fired approximately eight shots as the vehicle was backing away. Anthony Sutton was struck twice in the chest. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Futrell told the jury that there was no evidence Sutton was armed and that after the shooting, Rogers appeared to be celebrating, "jumping around like he won the lottery." Three women identified Rogers as the shooter from the video footage.
Rogers’ defense attorney argued for self-defense, though Rogers himself did not testify. The defense also pressed upon the jury the gravity of a life sentence and the need to be certain beyond a reasonable doubt. Notably, Rogers' father and grandfather, who were present at the scene of the crime, chose not to testify during the trial. The jury also learned that this was not Rogers' first time facing a murder charge; he had been acquitted in 2019 for a fatal shooting that occurred in 2014.
On February 19, 2026, after deliberating, the Pitt County jury found Stephon Averill Rogers guilty of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Under North Carolina law, the first-degree murder conviction carried a mandatory sentence. Superior Court Judge Marvin Blount sentenced Rogers to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Anthony Sutton's family was present in the courtroom throughout the trial, witnessing the final step in the long road to justice for the man they lost.
