A Rockingham County Jury has found a man guilty of solicitation to commit murder and sex offenses against a child. On Thursday 48-year-old Scottie Thomas Eanes was found guilty of first-degree sex offense against a child, two counts of indecent liberties with a child, and solicitation to commit murder.
Superior Court Judge David Hall sentenced Eanes to three consecutive sentences with a total minimum of 39 years and 10 months. Eanes must serve the entire minimum of 39 years and 10 months in prison before he is eligible for release. Additionally, upon release, he will be required to be on the sex offender registry for the remainder of his life.
On November 11, 2022, Detective David Stepps of the Eden Police Department received information that Scottie Eanes had molested a young child in his home over a decade before. The victim of these heinous crimes met with Detective Stepps and warrants were issued against Scottie Eanes.
On December 6, 2022, an inmate at the Rockingham County Jail requested to meet with Detective Stepps. Upon his arrival, the inmate informed Detective Stepps that the inmate shared a cell with Scottie Eanes.
He stated that Eanes believed that he, the cellmate, would likely be released from custody shortly. Eanes offered his cellmate $10,000 if he would locate and kill Eanes’ victim to prevent her from coming to court to testify against him.
Eanes gave his cellmate the victim’s name and other identifying information to enable him to locate the victim. After Detective Stepps concluded his interview, the case was turned over to Detective Ryan Burns of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Burns then conducted his own professional and thorough investigation, obtaining the evidence needed to corroborate the cellmate’s story and secure a conviction.
District Attorney Jason Ramey said: “I am truly amazed by the tremendous bravery of the victim in this case. I am filled with gratitude that she was literally willing to risk her life by coming forward and revealing the unspeakably disgusting things that Scottie Eanes did to her. I also am in awe of another victim of Scottie Eanes who came forward and demonstrated incredible courage by testifying about an equally despicable crime that Scottie Eanes had committed against her over 20 years ago. Together, these two survivors have ensured that Scottie Eanes will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars and will never be able to harm another child. I also want to thank Eden Police Chief Paul Moore, Lt. David Stepps, Sheriff Sam Page, Detective Ryan Burns, and Chief Assistant District Attorney Veronica Edmisten for securing justice for the victim. I commend the jury for being the voice of the community and holding Scottie Eanes accountable for his monstrous crimes.”