Press release from Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office:
(January 5, 2022) – The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office investigated six homicides during 2021 and were able to bring charges in all six investigations. In each case the victim and suspects knew each other prior to the crime occuring.
“Thanks to the tireless dedication of our Criminal Investigations Division, and by the outside agencies that assisted, we have been able to successfully close each of last year’s homicides by arrest. We hope this affords the families of each victim some modicum of peace and closure,” says Captain Angie Tullis of the Criminal Investigations Division at the Sheriff’s Office.
“These crimes have brought harm and a sense of being unsafe to our community, but thanks to the efforts of our Criminal Investigation Division and law enforcement we have been able to deliver accountability for these violent actions. To the victim’s families and friends, I want to express our condolences and desire to assist them with closure,” says Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.
Date: January 12, 2021
Victim: Belva Smeltzer, age 67.
Charged: Ronald L. Haynes Sr., age 74, has been charged with one count of First-Degree Murder.Date: July 26, 2021
Victim: Joshua Silvers, age 27.
Charged: James Edward Benson, Jr., age 18, of Asheville, Alexus Marie Buckner, age 18, Terrick Tyree Eddington, age 20, all charged with 1st-Degree Murder.Date: September 27, 2021
Victim: Boyce Shane Plemmons, age 44.
Charged: Willie James Byrd Jr., age 24, of Marietta, Georgia; Cross Lamarr Beaver, age 23, of Murphy, NC; and Carmen Renee Gillespie, age 45, of Buncombe County, all charged with 1st-Degree Murder.Date: November 18, 2021
Victim: Gregory Alan Gaines, age 60.
Charged: Randall Scott McCaul, age 60, charged with First-Degree Murder.Date: November 18, 2021
Victim: Kedrick Tevon Green, age 29.
Charged: Alfred Louis Logan Jr., age 42, charged with First-Degree Murder.Date: December 3, 2021
Victim: Darrin Sean Tinsley, age 52.
Charged: Joselynn Faye Mead, age 30, charged with Second-Degree Murder.The six homicides makes it the highest single-year total for the Sheriff’s Office since 2016. The number of homicides per year dating back to 2010 are listed below.
2010 – 3
2011 – 4
2012 – 4
2013 – 13
2014 – 2
2015 – 4
2016 – 6
2017 – 4
2018 – 1
2019 – 2
2020 – 3
2021 – 6All of the homicide suspects charged in 2021 are awaiting trial.
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