Wilmington man sentenced in 2017 deadly shooting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man will spend the next 25 years in prison for shooting and killing a man in 2017.

Freddie Fralin pleaded guilty Wednesday to second degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in the death of Montez Greene, 27.

Fralin turned himself in three days after Greene was shot and killed near 6th and Nixon Streets in July of 2017.

Fralin was originally charged with first degree murder but that charge was lowered to second degree murder.

At the sentencing hearing, the judge heard from Greene’s mother and uncle.

“If you had him as a friend, you had a friend to the end he would give you the shirt off his back,” Greene’s uncle Anthony Smith said. “The food off his plate.”

“But I’m not angry,” Greene’s mother Deborah Greene Miller said. “I’m not angry. I’ve got to forgive.”

Prosecutors say they were about to bring the jury in, but a motion to allow evidence about Fralin’s gang affiliation put things on hold.

Prosecutor Brad Matthews says he thinks that’s when Fralin changed his mind about taking that plea deal.

“There were two earlier altercations,” Matthews said. “One, the morning of that day of July 28, 2017. Then later in the afternoon. That culminated at about 5:20 p.m. when the defendant and the victim exchanged words.”

Matthews says Greene’s family was in an ongoing fight with Fralin’s gang. He says a final fight broke out on Nixon Street when Fralin chased Greene down the road, then shot him twice – once right below the heart.

Prosecutors say a big piece of the puzzle was Fralin’s gang affiliation.

“There was evidence that a leader of that gang that yelled to Freddie to just go ahead and shoot Montez, and then he did and Montez ended up dying,” prosecutor Alexandria Palombo said. “So it was very much related to the inner workings of that gang and who was a member of that gang. Several of them being there that day, including the leader of the gang.”

Fralin was sentenced to 25 to 31 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.