Johnston man accused of murdering his mother confessed to police, prosecutors say
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Prosecutors haven’t decided whether to pursue capital punishment.
- Sanders allegedly admitted to killing his 65-year-old mother, saying he did it for drugs.
- Judge Jillian Pope assigned a capital defender, denied release, and set a June 4 date.
Johnston County prosecutors say a Clayton man was caught “red-handed” after he told police he’d killed his mother on Monday.
Michael Corteze Sanders, 43, faces a first-degree murder charge after police on Monday discovered his mother, 65-year-old Robie Annette Sanders, with multiple stab wounds at an apartment in downtown Clayton. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.
During a first appearance hearing on Tuesday — which Sanders asked to attend virtually rather than in person — prosecutors said Sanders admitted to officers that he had killed his mother, suggesting he had done it for drugs.
Shortly before her death, Robie Sanders had called authorities to ask about mental health support for her son, Assistant District Attorney Paul Jackson said.
Michael Sanders didn’t speak as Judge Jillian Pope read off his charges and the potential punishment he could face, which she said could include death or life in prison. Prosecutors haven’t decided if they will pursue capital punishment, Jackson said.
Sanders an ‘extreme danger’
Sanders has been convicted of six crimes in the past 10 years. He was on probation at the time of his arrest after he was charged with second-degree forcible rape, sexual battery and obstruction of justice in 2024, court records show.
Jackson said on Tuesday that he had prosecuted that case.
Sanders was convicted of the obstruction of justice charge and sentenced to 60 days in custody and one year on parole, with a requirement of registering as a sex offender and maintaining no contact with the victim, court records show.
But Jackson said prosecutors never expected he would commit a violent offense upon his release, as most of his prior charges had been nonviolent.
“In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think the state would have to worry about him harming his own mother,” Jackson said during the hearing.
Jackson requested no bail be set for Sanders, who he said is “an extreme danger to the community and to anyone who may want to take him in,” he said.
About 10 relatives of the Sanders family lined benches in the Johnston County courtroom on Tuesday, with Jackson saying he wasn’t sure if they were there in support of Sanders or his mother. Several left the room in tears as prosecutors detailed the case, and Jackson escorted the group out after the hearing.
Pope, the judge, assigned Sanders a capital defender in the case and did not authorize his release. She set Sanders’ next court date for June 4.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Johnston man accused of murdering his mother confessed to police, prosecutors say."
