Accused killer of Observer carrier pleads not guilty

Walter “Wes” Scott once said he would deliver the Observer until he died.

On Thursday, the man accused of taking Scott’s life while he serviced his uptown paper route pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Roger Best, 23, is accused of fatally wounding the 65-year-old Scott during a 2 a.m. uptown robbery attempt in February. Police found Scott dead in a crosswalk leading toward Romare Bearden Park. He had been dropping off copies of the morning paper at a convenience store nearby.

Scott, a longtime constable who carried a gun on his hip, started delivering the paper when he was 18. Not long before his death, he told a boss at the Observer that he had begun feeling unsafe on his job for the first time.

Best, whom authorities say was wounded during an exchange of gunfire with Scott, waved down police to tell them he’d been shot. He also is accused of attempted armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. Jail records indicate he has been arrested at least six times.

If convicted of the murder charge, he will serve the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Accused killer of Observer carrier pleads not guilty."