Full Notification

On December 17, 2023 staff from East McDowell Middle School contacted the Marion Police Department to report damages to the building. While officers were on scene, school administrators began reviewing security camera footage. It was determined that not only were windows damaged on the building, but footage also showed two males had entered the school. The two males, later identified as Ezekiel Joseph Super (19) and Nickey Jon Dula (22), while inside the school the two males took items from the building which belonged to McDowell County Schools and some personal items belonging to staff members. Dula and Super also damaged and took items from a vending machine.
 
Investigators with the Marion Police Department began disseminating images of the two males to other officers within the department, which resulted in Nickey Dula being identified as one of the offenders. On December 18, 2023 officers were called to the McDowell Ministries Alliance Center for Men (located at 804 State Street, beside East McDowell Middle School) for an unrelated incident. Nickey Dula was present and had been involved in this unrelated incident. Dula was arrested by officers, and property belonging to the school was found in a bag belonging to him. Investigator Kinman then spoke with staff at the shelter and that is where Ezekiel Super was located and identified as the second offender. Some of those items have been recovered and are being returned to the proper owners.
 
Below is a list of the charges that were brought against each offender.
  
Ezekiel Joseph Super
 
Felony Breaking & Entering
Felony Larceny after Breaking & Entering
Misdemeanor Breaking & Entering to a Coin Operated Machine
Misdemeanor Damage to Coin Operated Machine
Misdemeanor Injury to Real Property
 
 
Nickey Jon Dula
 
Felony Breaking & Entering
Larceny after Breaking & Entering (2) counts
Misdemeanor Breaking and Entering to Coin Operated Machine
Misdemeanor Damage to Coin Operated Machine
Misdemeanor Injury to Real Property.
 
 
Both Dula and Super were charged and arrested for the above listed crimes. Both Dula and Super were placed into the custody of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office awaiting their appearance in McDowell County Court.
 
 
McDowell County School Superintendent Tracey Gritt provided the following statement concerning this event. We are so fortunate to have such a strong collaboration with our local law enforcement in McDowell County. Chief Lawrence and the Marion Police Department responded to our call, working closely with Mrs. Widmann, Principal at East Middle School, and her staff. A break-in is never the call you expect to get at a school, but when it happens here, we can rest assured that we are in good hands with our friends at the Marion Police Department. The damage to our facility during the holiday allowed our staff to clean up and repair most items before our students returned.  The safety of our students is paramount, and we are grateful no students nor staff were ever in harm's way. 
--
Tracy Grit, Ed.D
Superintendent
McDowell County Schools
 
 
Authority: Chief of Police