GREENVILLE, Pitt County – Officials say Dibon Toone, 39, will make his first appearance at a Virginia court Thursday morning. Toone has been charged with murdering his girlfriend and her three children.
Chief Mark Holtzman said Garlette Howard, 32, was killed by her boyfriend, Toone. Howard’s three girls, ages 6, 7 and 11, were also murdered. Police said Toone is the father of the two youngest victims.
The victims were found in a townhome at 1101 A2 Grovemont Drive in Greenville Tuesday night around 8. Police had been at the home to do a welfare check after concerned family members called them when the mom and kids could not be reached.
Greenville Police and the SBI received information around 11 p.m. that Toone was in the area of Richmond, Va. GPD contacted Richmond Police, who were able to arrest Toone late Tuesday night. He was arrested near the intersection of Lost Avenue and Hopkins Road in Richmond. Police said Toone was driving Howard’s work-issued SUV at the time of his arrest.
Holtzman said family members of Toone called Greenville Police out of concern, which prompted the welfare check. Police forced themselves into the home where they found Howard and the three female children. Detectives said there’s a chance the victims may have been killed several days prior to the discovery of their bodies.
Holtzman said there was past history of incidents where police were called to the residence. Officers were called there on July 22 after Toone attempted to commit suicide. Toome was transported to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville where he was admitted to psychiatric evaluation.
At this point, police are not saying how the victims were killed. Police said Toone should be extradited back to North Carolina on Friday.