WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a 2018 homicide on Thursday, according to the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2018, investigators found Curtis Farrow dead in a dumpster on the 2900 block of Ivy Avenue in Winston-Salem. The autopsy would reveal that Farrow had been beaten to death.

A person later came to the Winston-Salem Police Department stating that they had information about Farrow being involved with a possible robbery of drugs from someone just a few days before his death.

With that information in hand, detectives were able to track Farrow’s cell phone location to a home on the 1900 block of Bertha Street in Winston-Salem where they say Farrow was killed on Jan. 19, 2018.

The homeowner told detectives that around eight people were at the home on the night of Farrow’s death, including the defendant, Edward Maurice Nelson.

Nelson and the others threatened to kill Farrow that night while the homeowner was forced into another room and told to shut the door, according to investigators. The homeowner did not see the assault but could hear what was happening in the other room.

The homeowner heard that Nelson had asked Farrow to take him to a location to buy ecstasy, according to investigators. Farrow then led Nelson to an abandoned house which led Nelson to believe that Farrow was setting him up to be robbed.

The homeowner then heard Nelson tell Farrow to pick one person from the group to fight or else the entire group would beat him, according to detectives. The homeowner did not see Nelson or the others beating Farrow but heard a disturbance as well as Farrow begging for his life.

Later when the homeowner exited the back room, he saw Farrow bleeding and having trouble breathing, according to investigators. The homeowner told detectives that he was threatened to be killed if he spoke to the police and was forced to clean up the blood from the assault.

Another person at the home was also told to go into a back room and shut the door before the assault occurred. They told detectives they could hear what sounded like someone being beaten and could hear Farrow yelling “Reese, please don’t kill me.” Investigators later determined that “Reese” is a nickname for Nelson.

The second person later exited the back room and saw Nelson and the others acting as if nothing had happened. They and the homeowner later found Farrow sitting in a chair while breathing very heavily and being unable to speak. A short time later, they saw two men come into the home and remove Farrow from inside.

On Thursday, Nelson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of Farrow. He was then sentenced to 161-206 months in prison.