North Carolina

Police say teen sent messages about killing grandfather

A North Carolina teenager charged with killing his grandfather with a hatchet discussed the crime in advance with a still-unidentified person on a cellphone messaging app, law enforcement authorities said in an affidavit.

According to a detective’s affidavit for a search warrant, the then-15-year-old discussed his forming plans before attacking Joseph Emmett Naulty, 63, in August, the Fayetteville Observer reported.

The affidavit said the boy discussed in his cellphone messages that he found the grandfather who recently moved into his home, “just kinda inconvenient.” Naulty moved into his son’s home after his wife died in Alabama in February, a neighbor told the newspaper.

Investigators are working with the Canada-based company behind the app called Kik to identify the person using the identity Sporkus_the_wise who was messaging the Cumberland County teenager, said Sgt. Sean Swain, a sheriff’s department spokesman.

The boy, who turned 16 last month, is charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder. Prosecutors are deciding whether to try him as an adult.

— Associated Press

The Nation

8 school presidents paid at least $2 million

A new study has found that eight private colleges paid their presidents more than $2 million in 2014, the most ever to hit that mark.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported the finding Sunday in its annual ranking of pay for the leaders of private colleges. The previous high was five, in 2013.

Topping the list in 2014 was President Jack Varsalona of Wilmington University in Delaware, whose pay totaled $5.4 million. He was followed by the leaders of Washington University in St. Louis and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

For all three, most of their earnings came as one-time payments that were promised for reaching certain milestones. Such agreements have become common at many schools to deter presidents from leaving.

Some critics say the pay and benefits are excessively lavish.

— Associated Press