NEW BERN, NC — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
NEW BERN, NC – A federal judge sentenced Kenneth Maurice Quick, Jr., age 26, of Laurinburg, to three life sentences and then to an additional 83 years in federal prison for murdering two service members in December 2020. In May 2026, a federal jury convicted Quick on eight charges after a full trial, including first‑degree murder, drug conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.
“This cold‑blooded murderer will never see the light of day again,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Understand this, if you commit depraved violence on federal property: we will hunt you down, we will prosecute you, and we will lock you away for a very long time. No excuses. No escape. When you take lives, we will come for you without hesitation. You get life for taking a life.”
Evidence presented at trial established a series of brutal actions. Quick murdered WL, an active‑duty soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, and TD, a former soldier. Leading up to these killings, he agreed to buy cocaine from WL, but he never intended to pay. TD supplied the cocaine to WL and joined him on the trip to deliver the drugs to Quick. The defendant met WL at a trap house in Laurinburg and remorselessly shot him in the back five times. Quick then forced TD to drive to a remote wooded area on Fort Bragg to help dispose of WL’s body. When the truck became stuck in the sand, Quick shot TD in the head and in the back, killing him at the scene. The next day, Quick and his co‑conspirators recovered the truck from woods, drove it to a country road in another county, ransacked, moved, and burned TD’s truck. About two months later, he arranged another drug deal and murdered another unsuspecting victim in cold blood. While cooling in jail awaiting trial, Quick also provided a fellow gang member with the name of a potential witness. That gang member took that informant and murdered the witness.
"Quick likely believed he evaded authorities in killing two men and discarding their bodies on Fort Bragg property. He clearly didn't consider the dedication and expertise of FBI Special Agents and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, who followed the evidence and put together a meticulous timeline of Quick's crimes. Three life sentences for eight federal crimes say very loudly and clearly, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make certain violent criminals are always held accountable," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division led the investigations in the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-FL, Case No. 4:24-CR-46-M, and Case No. 4:24-CR-56-BO.
