60-year-old James Thomas Pratt pled guilty to a double murder on November 17, 2023 in a cold case from 1984. James killed 27-year-old Sarah Mobley Hall and her 10-year-old son Derrick Mobley in Charlotte, NC at an a apartment on Ventura Way near West Sugar Creek. Follow Charlotte Alerts on Instagram.
Sarah and Derrick were both strangled to death and beaten on March 14, 1984 at the apartments they lived at. Sarah and Derrick were found deceased in the apartments. For years, no arrests were made.
DNA on a pillow at the crime scene was taken as evidence. 39 years later, with advancements in technology the DNA was entered into a database and came up with a match to James.
On February 1, 2023 James was arrested at a hotel in York County, South Carolina. James was later extradited back to Mecklenburg County. James was charged with double murder.
In November 2023 James took a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. A judge sentenced James to 60 years in prison.
