Federal defense lawyers allege in court documents filed Monday that Demario Atwater, one of two suspects charged with the March 2008 slaying of UNC Student Body President Eve Carson, was beaten by Durham police on the day he was arrested.
Atwater’s lawyers are requesting the suppression of Atwater’s statements following the arrest, claiming he feared further beatings. They say photographs taken of Atwater on the day of his arrest show an abrasion on his cheek.
Both Orange County and federal authorities have announced they will seek the death penalty against Atwater, 23. They cannot seek the death penalty against suspect Laurence Alvin Lovette because he was 17 at the time of the murder.