'Doesn't get easier': Loved ones remember NC student months after killing

Sha'Mari Parker was excited to graduate from East Carolina University this year, move to another city and pursue one of two job offers extended to him. But the 20-year-old never got that chance.

Remembered by loved ones as a cancer survivor, a "beautiful soul," and a hard worker, Parker was found shot to death in Washington, North Carolina in what police believe was an attempted robbery.

Officers found Parker suffering from a gunshot wound on the evening of Jan. 7 after someone alerted police about a vehicle collision at an intersection in Beaufort County, about 38 miles north of New Bern. Parker was pronounced dead at the scene, Washington police said in a news release.

Months later, one suspect is in custody while another remains at large.

Zaydrian Starkie, 17, has been charged with murder and armed robbery, according to the Washington Police Department. Another teen, 16-year-old Quamir Razor, is wanted for murder and armed robbery charges, police confirmed to Paste BN.

Police: Suspects shot Parker, leading to crash

Police believe the suspects were in the car with Parker, who was driving, a spokesperson from the Washington Police Department told Paste BN on April 23. Officials think the suspects shot Parker, ran off, and that’s when Parker’s vehicle hit a pole. 

The gun Parker was shot with did not belong to him, authorities told Paste BN. They declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

The District Attorney’s Office for Prosecutorial District 2 in North Carolina declined to comment on April 23, also citing the ongoing investigation and North Carolina law prohibiting them from commenting. It was not immediately clear this week who was representing Starkie in court.

'I hope that’s not my baby’s car'

Cortyne Woolard, Parker’s mother, said her son worked as a stocker at Walmart, often working 10-hour shifts. He was studying construction management at East Carolina University.

Woolard said her son had a gun the teens may have been after. He’d asked for one last Christmas. Uneasy around guns, his mother was hesitant, but got it for him anyway because he was a good kid.

He was a "workaholic," so the day he died, he’d been resting before work. Later, his little sister had a feeling she should stay home with him, but she decided to go to a basketball game at Washington High School with her mom instead.

Woolard texted her son and asked him to transfer her $5 since she only had cash and needed a card to pay for her basketball game ticket. He sent her the money, sent her a thumb’s up, and that’s the last she heard from him, she told Paste BN.

Not too long after, she and her daughter were watching the game when news of an incident involving a 2017 Ford Escape, just like her son’s vehicle, began circulating.

“I hope it's not my baby’s car,” Woolard recalled saying at the time. 

They went to the scene and spoke to an officer, who verified some information such as tattoos her son had. The officer eventually showed her a photo.

“I saw the blood on my son’s arm,” she said. “From there, it was just a blur.”

Slain college student previously beat cancer 

Parker was the oldest of four children. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was just a child, his mother said. He was hospitalized and underwent radiation and chemo.

He also underwent a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, which would usually take a few days to recover from, his mother said. But by 2018, his cancer was in remission.

While undergoing cancer treatment, Parker’s bones were weakened, so he needed surgery on his ankle, his mom said. The day after surgery, he still wanted to go to class.

“He was so serious about his education,” his mother recalled. “I drove him around for the rest of the semester. He said ‘Ma, I can’t miss this class.’”

Suspect repeatedly called victim and asked for a ride

Woolard said her son knew Starkie, who has been charged. She said he also knew of Razor, who is still at large.

His mother looked at her son’s laptop and saw that on Jan. 7, Starkie asked her son for a ride. Parker initially said he couldn’t do it because he had work later.

“The little boy had been calling, calling, calling, texting,” she said, adding that her son likely agreed to give him a ride so he’d leave him alone.

Police announced on Jan. 22 and Jan. 31 that a $5,000 reward had been offered for tips leading to Razor's arrest. According to Woolard, police don’t think Razor is in the area anymore. 

'I miss him every day'

Parker's mother misses everything about her son, she said. She added that he didn’t have a real childhood due to his cancer diagnosis and treatment.

He didn’t go many places or do much other than work, go to school, play video games and eat.

He was known to ask her “Ma, what you gon’ cook?” she said, adding that he loved wings, steak, fries, oxtails and more.

His girlfriend, ‪Ayanni Bryant, said he was humble with a gentle spirit. The pair met in 9th grade, she told Paste BN.

“He is my best friend and high school sweetheart,” she said. “I miss him every day. The pain and his missing presence doesn't get easier or better. It's only easier to control the tears around people. He was truly a beautiful soul gone too soon.”

Washington police ask that anyone with information in connection to Parker’s death contact them at (252) 946-1444 or Beaufort County Crime Stoppers at (252) 974-6400.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.